


Save the Date

by unicornologist



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Doctor!Steve, F/M, Fluff, Hospitals, M/M, Minor Bucky Barnes/Natasha Romanov, Minor Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Minor Sharon Carter/Steve Rogers, Slow Burn, Stucky Big Bang 2016, The Wedding Planner AU, Veteran!Bucky, it's kinda shrinkyclinks, like they are both engaged for a while here, minor cheating, not subtle flirting, sbb2016, shrinkyclinks, wedding planner!bucky
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-25
Updated: 2016-08-29
Packaged: 2018-07-24 03:02:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 48,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7490826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unicornologist/pseuds/unicornologist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hydrangea Weddings is not an easy place to work. The schedule is grueling, the standards impossible and the pay, abysmal. However that will all be a distant memory once Bucky, New York’s star wedding planner, makes partner. The perfect opportunity has just waltzed into his office, the wedding of British business heiress and All-American sweetheart, Sharon Carter. With a little luck and some wedding magic, surely Bucky will be made partner and leave the daily grind behind. How could some family problems and a crush on a cute pediatrician by the name of Steve Rogers get in the way of his destiny? Still, planning the wedding of the year won’t be a cake walk …. After all, Bucky hasn’t even met the fiancé yet. A ‘The Wedding Planner’ AU that nobody asked for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Meet Bucky Barnes, The Best Sniper in the USA and the best Wedding Planner in NYC

**Author's Note:**

> This work is part of the Stucky Big Bang 2016 which means there will be fanart (!!!!!!!!!) 
> 
> So yeah, this is a wedding planner AU and just as a note that does mean that both Steve and Bucky will be engaged to women (Sharon and Natasha, respectively) for a good portion of the fic. However there will not be any kind of sexual or intensely romantic interactions between them. It does mean that there will be cheating to a certain extent... 
> 
> Still it is a cheesy movie and this will be one giant cheeseball of a fanfic, so there's that.
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> Wowie! Here is the beautiful art as promised by Cassandra Fisher! 
> 
> http://archiveofourown.org/works/7626115
> 
> Go give it some love!

   

 Title and Banner by Cassandra S. Fisher ([cassandrasfisher](http://archiveofourown.org/users/cassandrasfisher/pseuds/cassandrasfisher))

 

Everything was simply perfect, the calling card for a Bucky Barnes wedding. The guests were greeted with signature champagne cocktails, the scents of vanilla, fresh cut grass and orange peel floated through the room, the bridesmaids dresses were pressed to perfection. Each and every detail double and triple checked to make sure that this would be remembered as the social event of the summer; a night resplendent in every detail from the finest luxuries to the smallest of pleasures.

It really was perfection.

Except for one small detail. One teeny tiny little issue. An insignificant oversight, really.

It was definitely not a problem, per say. Bucky Barnes was too good at his job for there to be 'problems' on the wedding day. It was merely something that needed to be addressed with a sense of urgency. Bucky had been in this industry long enough to know that these little hiccups always happen. A stain on a bridesmaids dress, a lost cufflink, an uninvited guest. They are dealt with swiftly; passing frustrations or trivial issues at worst.

But a problem? Hardly.

Or at least, that is what Bucky is going to keep telling himself for the next 12 hours until the vows are read, the papers are signed and not-a-problem was on a private jet to Fiji.

In the meantime, Bucky was just going to have to think on his feet. He moved noiselessly through the crowds of guests who were too wrapped up in drinks and seating arrangements to notice. Everything was right on schedule. Introductions and oh-it's-so-good-to-see-yous rang through the hall and some of them actually seemed sincere. The top tier of society was present and accounted for, after all, Pepper Potts and Anthony Stark's wedding was no small matter. Hence why this it's-still-definitely-not-a problem needed to be taken care of quickly and, more importantly, quietly. What he wouldn’t give for his old sniper rifle right about now. With that kick-ass silencer from the Kiev mission. And the viewfinder put on for Zimbabwe. Orgasmic. Bucky slipped quietly behind Lord Thor, and silently thanked the Norwegian for being such a distracting beefcake of a man as he entered the elevators completely unnoticed.

Phase 2 had begun.

"Jarvis, please take me to Tony's lab." Bucky commanded as the elevator doors eased closed.

"I'm sorry Mr. Barnes, but Mr. Stark has ordered me not to reveal his location." The AI prompted, even as the elevator began to move upwards into the residential areas.

"I'm not asking you where he is, Jarvis, I am asking to be taken to the lab whether or not he is currently there.” Bucky said, checking his suit in the reflective metal strips inside the elevator doors.

“May I inquire why you wish to visit the lab amidst such a joyous occasion?” Jarvis continued. The last thing Bucky needed was a snarky computer taking him on a wild goose chase for a reluctant groom.

“Maybe I need a screwdriver for my arm. Will that get me in?” Bucky grumbled, waving his prosthesis around.

"Certainly. Very good sir. We shall arrive shortly." Bucky leaned back against the wall, exhaling. He needed to go into this situation with a calm head. Tony was one of his best friends. He just needed to work with Stark, not against him. It was kind of like treading water. Or covert international espionage.

The elevator slid open and Bucky walked into Tony’s lab. Just as he’d suspected, Tony, half dressed in his tuxedo, was up to his elbows in engine grease tinkering with god knows what.

“Mr. Barnes has arrived in search of a screw driver for minor prosthetic repairs, sir.” Jarvis said as soon as he was within the lab doors.

“Hey Wedding-Bot, what can I help you with? Glitter clog in the elbows? Arm not articulated well enough to do the tango? Want me to install a sewing kit? ” Tony turned from his workbench, covered in small specks of grease and sweat. Bucky took a long slow breath and reminded himself again to handle this with decorum and efficiency. After all, he is a goddamn professional.

"Tony, these shoes may be Italian leather, but do not for a second think that means I will even hesitate to stick it clear up your ass if you do not get your shit together immediately." Well. That might have gone better, Bucky reflected. Tony’s face scrunched up, cleaning off his hands with an already filthy towel.

“Relax Sargent Buttercream, I was just finishing up here. I’ll be done in like thirty seconds maximum,” which Bucky knew meant between 30 minutes and 5 hours, “and then we can get this show on the road.” He threw the towel over the table and onto Dum-E, which was already drowning in a sea of Tony’s dirty laundry. He twisted back towards the mess of electronics on his workbench, returning to his work.

“Tony, do you think this is funny?” Bucky moved forward into the lab while Tony studiously ignored him, leaning further into his project. “You and I both know that you don’t want to be here. That is no secret, believe me, but today is not about you.” Bucky leaned on the workbench.

“Aren’t I kind of the point of today? It’s my wedding afterall. ‘Tony Stark finally ties the knot’, ‘the death of a bachelor’ and all that media trash?” He muttered while arranging a complex array of wires.

“No Tony, if today were about you we’d be painting tiny tuxedos onto your cleaning robots and eating pizza imported from Tuscany or some shit, and while that sounds like fun and all, I do not wear italian leather to get covered with paint and pizza grease.” Bucky put his hand on Tony’s shoulder and pushed backwards. Now face to face, he leaned in close. “Today, Tony, is about Pepper and your damn corporation. Your business relies on maintaining a certain image. The playboy m.o. worked when you were younger, but it’s a little overplayed now.” Tony rolled his eyes, he never did respond well to Bucky’s Sergeant Barnes persona.

“Oh come on Dad. I agreed to get married and I will! You know me, I never go back on my word.” Bucky raised an eyebrow. “All I want is to hide in my lab for any length of time that I am not required to be present, then hop a plane to paradise and have a whole lot of beach sex.” Tony stood up from his chair, reaching for his shirt sleeves and rolling them down. “On second thought scratch the beach sex. Sand. Everywhere. Private yacht sex on the other hand, is definitely still on the table.” Taking a step back, Bucky ran a hand over his face.

“Fine Tony, fine. You win. I can’t force you to play socially acceptable human for the evening so I guess there isn’t an option.” Bucky turned on his heel, walking towards back towards the elevator. Tony, humming to himself, began to roll his sleeves back up, reaching for his discarded tools. “Just let me know how much private yacht sex you’re having with your pissed off wife who is stuck dealing with another classic Tony Stark media shitstorm.” Bucky threw over his shoulder with a small wave. Tony stopped, hand inches from his favorite screwdriver. “Even if you’re sleeping in separate rooms Fiji will still be lovely this time of year.” Bucky turned around to face Tony, just in front of the elevator doors.

Tony slowly began to roll his sleeve back down, moving away from the workbench. He glanced down at his shirt, “Jarvis, how do you get motor oil out of a dress shirt?” Tony shouted, wiping uselessly at the stains.

“Sir, that depends entirely on the fabric from which the shirt is made.” Jarvis responded, earning a frustrated sigh from Tony. Bucky chuckled under his breath while Tony stared at him balefully.

“Come on Barnes, you’re like a brother to me. What is this shirt made out of? Help a guy out.” Tony pleaded. Instead of answering Bucky unbuttoned his jacket and walked back into the lab. He reached into the sides of his coat and pulled out two small bottles, and a cloth.

“First: dish detergent,” he threw one of the bottles towards Tony. “Use some elbow grease” he said, throwing the cloth, “Next, vinegar and then another good soap and rinse.” He walked up to Tony and placed the third bottle in his hand. “We’re going to have to blow dry your entire person later, so we need to get started now.” Tony looked at Bucky with something akin to gratitude in his eyes. Bucky sighed. “Just take off the damn shirt Tony. Let’s get you married. And by married I mean laid.”

Tony smiled.  
_________________________________

Thirty minutes later the guests were finally settling into their seats, the hall filled with quiet chatter. The candles shone against glass walls of the penthouse, illuminating the room with soft, diffuse light. Bucky slipped quietly along the back of the hall, checking in with video, lights and sound before queueing the string quartet to begin playing.

“Darcy,” He muttered into the nearly invisible microphone on his jacket collar.

“What’s up, Buck?” Her cheerful voice returned.

“Darcy, please try and maintain some sense of decorum.” He turned to walk back towards the dressing rooms.

“Not a chance.” She replied. He could practically hear the hair flip through the headset.

“Whatever, we can discuss this later. Let’s do a final check in with the wedding party and get this shitshow on the road.”

“Bucky, Please try and maintain some sense of decorum.” She muttered. “Right-o be there in like two minutes.” Rolling his eyes, Bucky changed paths back towards the stairs towards the private rooms. He could already see Darcy waiting for him as he took a quick look around.

“Right then, no one nearby to hear shop talk.” He began, shifting his hands into his pockets. “Have you checked in on the bride?”

“Yes. Ms. Perky and Perfect is doing well and everything is splendid or some shit like that. As expected.” Darcy crossed her arms. “What about the reluctant groom?” She cracked her gum noisily, prompting Bucky to roll his eyes again.

“He’s drying out from a little motor oil accident but he’s ready to go. Against all odds, I think this might actually come together.” Bucky ran a hand through his hair, sighing. This account was huge; big money, big publicity and big pain in the neck.

“Yeah like any wedding you’re involved in is going to fail.” Darcy grumbled. “But seriously, corralling the infamous Tony Stark. That’s impressive. How’d you manage it?” Bucky raised an eyebrow and made a show of checking his finger nails. “Shouldn’t you tell me since you’re my, like, mentor or some shit? Teach me your ways oh mighty Bucky.”

“Come on Darcy, you know this. You just have to figure out what drives people. Tony may seem complicated, but he’s pretty classically motivated.” Bucky spoke as he started to move off towards the bridal suite.

“So… sex?” Darcy called after him.

“Sex.” Bucky called back, straightening his tie. “Go check the seating arrangement. Make sure that Thor isn’t blocking anyone’s view.”

Darcy saluted and turned to go, muttering “He could block my view anytime.” She easily navigated the stairs despite her monstrous heels and pencil skirt. Now that was impressive. Bucky chuckled fondly and moved toward the bridal suite. He could hear laughter from within, always a good sign on wedding day. With a small inhale, he pushed through the doors. The scene that greeted him was straight from a bridal magazine. Pepper looked radiant, dressed in smooth flowing satin, golden chains nestled into her hair, and pinned up at the base of her neck.

“You are breathtaking.” Bucky murmured, walking over to kiss her cheek.

“Oh James! I just couldn’t be happier right now.” Pepper rose to meet him, taking his hands. “I cannot believe you managed to make such a political event feel so warm. It really is everything I wanted and I am so glad you fell into our lives.” She smiled at him.

“That was all you Pepper. You made all of this possible for me. And the orange blossoms in the bouquets to tie into the scent story and the drinks? All you and totally brilliant.” Bucky smirked, guiding her towards the door. “I just wanted to let you know that Operation Stark Corralling was a success and you will have a clean and cheerful groom awaiting you at the altar.” Bucky said, smiling.

“Bucky, after managing PR for Tony for too many years, I can tell you that is an amazing feat. I know Tony can be a raging asshole about these sorts of events.” Pepper said while Bucky laughed loudly at her word choice. “Oh don’t be like that.” She swatted playfully at his arm. “I know how Tony is better than anyone. I live with him and even I have trouble getting him out of that lab.” Pepper winked as Bucky chuckled. “I’m just grateful for everything you’ve made possible.” Pepper leaned in to kiss his cheek.

“When I came back stateside I couldn’t have imagined being this happy, Pepper.” Bucky mumbled, blushing. He really could not imagine a more perfect wedding for Pepper, and he was happy to be at the helm. Since Tony had rebuilt his arm, he counted both Mr. Stark and the soon to be Mrs. Stark among his closest friends.

“James, you deserve this and more.” She patted his hands again and moved back towards her tittering bridesmaids. She paused. “I’m curious how you got his to comply so quickly. There’s very little that motivates Tony.” She glanced back over her shoulder.

Bucky placed his hand on the door knob, sliding the door open as he responded.

“Yacht sex.” He smirked. Pepper heaved a long suffering sigh and Bucky slipped out of the room.

___________________________________________________

Bucky opened the door to his apartment, inhaling deeply. It felt good to be home after such an involved job. He glanced down at his watch, swinging his leather satchel onto his armchair. The ticking hands indicated that it was just past 3:30 in the morning.

The apartment building was dead silent, the only noise a distant siren and the rush of cars below. Bucky had thought about getting a dog or a cat. Hell even a fish. But some days he still struggled to take care of himself, much less something else that was alive. Besides, he did way too many destination weddings. Still, it would be nice to come home to a messy living room with food in the fridge, he thought. Maybe some quiet music or muted TV. Someone else’s shoes by the door. A warm bed.

“Fuck” He muttered to no one in particular. Rubbing his hand over his face, he opened the fridge, bypassing the beer and going straight for the chocolate protein shakes. He needed to go grocery shopping soon, but he so rarely ate at home that most food just went bad before he ever got to it. He opened the bottle and took a swig, turning towards the living room. He briefly considered watching some TV; Bucky had a soft spot for late night infomercials. Anyone who doesn’t respect the pinnacle of televised media clearly had never seen someone blend things in the Magic Bullet for 45 minutes. It was an incredibly satisfying experience. Instead he chugged the rest of the protein shake, tossing the bottle into his carefully labeled recycling bin. Loosening his tie, he walked towards his bedroom. He reached into his closet, mechanically hanging up his suit. Pulling on a fresh pair of boxers, he fell into his pristine bed. Military corners were one of the few hold overs from his army days. For a moment he lay there, letting his exhaustion wash over him.

Reaching over to his nightstand, Bucky fumbled for the tube of medicated cream that sat beside his bed. Carefully, he massaged the knotted scar tissue where flesh met metal on his shoulder. It very rarely hurt anymore, but after a long day it did start to ache. He applied it mechanically, sunk back into his pillows, set his alarm for 7 am and drifted into a deep sleep.  
___________________________________________________

“You’re just so lonely.” Becca commented, sorting her tiles on the table in front of her. It was the middle of a round of bananagrams and like clockwork, also the middle of another one of Becca’s famous let-me-tell-you-about-your-life speeches. Bucky sighed, pushing the letter J around his puzzle. J was such a little fucker.

“Becca I am not lonely. I’m just busy with work. Besides how could I be lonely when I come here every week?” He mumbled. Clint snorted from across the table.

“Ah yes, Clint’s tabletop gaming club. The social event of the weekend for most young people.” Clint said, sliding another tile into place. “Peel.” He shouted.

“Ah shit.” Bucky mumbled taking another tile. Another fucking J. “Are we accepting jubjub as a word?”

“No.” Becca muttered. “I still speak crap English and even I’m not that desperate. Peel!” Everyone groaned.

“Jubjub is a bird in Beware the Jabberwock. Also your english is fine Becca.” Bucky muttered, pondering if he could rework agony to include a J. Jagony. Agjony.

“That is literally a nonsense poem.” Clint commented.

“Also you will not change the subject James.” Becca interrupted, shifting her tiles around. “You need to get out there. Make some friends, go on a date.”

“Becca, I am serious, I am not dating.” Bucky sighed.

“James. I am not trying to force anything on you. Believe me.” She looked up from her tiles. “I just know how happy I am now.” She glanced toward Pietro, who was currently teaching a young girl how to play Go Fish. “How happy we are now.” She amended, rubbing a hand over her rounded belly, smiling faintly.

“It’s just not the same Becca.” He said, abandoning his futile fight against the Js. “I work difficult hours and I come with a lot of baggage. If I commit to someone it is going to need to be someone who can tolerate my lifestyle.” He crossed his arms.

“Exactly Bucky! That is why you need to go meet new people. Maybe you will find someone who can ‘tolerate your lifestyle’ as you say.” She said, air quotes and all.

“Becca not everyone gets lucky like you. I am not going to run into a childhood friend and just happen to fall in love with someone who just happens to be perfect for me. You have a pretty unique situation.” Bucky grumbled, leaning back and casting a glance at Pietro. He really did like him, if for no other reason than how happy he made his little sister. That being said, it was hard to not resent their marriage a little bit. He wasn’t at the wedding, he had never met the groom and his little sister was only 18 when she was married off into another family from the Russian aristocracy. No doubt their grandparents were thrilled that Bucky was half a world away and could not possibly protest. After a few years, Rebecca and Pietro Maximoff moved to the US and Bucky and Pietro had developed a friendship. Bucky could see his love for Rebecca in the way he treated her and eventually he had accepted Pietro into his family.

“Do not pretend to know the details of my marriage, brother.” Becca murmured switching into Russian. “It is more complicated than you think.” She rubbed her belly again. Her phone beeped and she reached to check the message. Looking back towards Bucky she cleared her throat. Bucky’s attention snapped away from Pietro and back to his sister. “This reminds me! I have a wonderful surprise for you!” She grinned and Bucky knew that smile meant bad news for him.

Clint glanced up at the tension growing between the siblings, still shifting tiles around on the table. “Guys you’ve missed like six peels.” He commented, looking back and forth between the two.

“I’ll be right back, okay?” Becca said, getting up. She was in her second trimester, just beginning to show the tell-tale baby bump. Bucky looked down at the forgotten game. A few minutes later Becca returned, followed by a stunning redhead dressed in head to toe black workout wear.

“I am going to head to the studio upstairs. The pre-natal yoga class is starting.” Becca informed them. “But before I go I wanted to welcome my dear, dear friend from our childhood, Bucky, Natasha Romanova. You remember her, we all used to play together.” The redhead made no move to greet any of the club members, merely inclining her head to the side. Bucky glanced quickly between the new arrival and his sister.

“Uh, yeah.” Bucky responded eloquently. “Kind of.”

“Fancy this, you meeting an old childhood friend.” Becca raised an eyebrow. Bucky already knew where this was heading. Rebecca could be overbearing but this was beyond the point of acceptability.

“Hi.” Bucky gave a small wave, trying to keep the dread out of his voice.

“And guess what Bucky? Natasha and the Romanovas have agreed to negotiate a marriage between you two!” Becca squealed. Bucky’s stomach turned to stone and dropped about three stories down.

“You can’t be serious, Becca.” His voice was dangerously low.

“She is entirely serious. Though my family has little to do with this matter.” Natasha said, face devoid of emotion. Bucky’s brain stalled, completely at a loss. The room was eerily silent, waiting for the Barnes family drama to play out. After all it wasn’t everyday you watched a modern arranged marriage between the estranged children of two of the most prominent Russian aristocratic clans. Nothing this exciting ever happened at the tabletop gaming club. It seemed as though the entire room held their breath, waiting.

“Becca…” Bucky began, trailing off.

“Bananas!” Clint yelled. “Fuck yeah, I finally won!”


	2. Road Safety Lessons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky gets a chance to chat with Natasha and an accord is reached. Meanwhile Bucky also takes a major leap forward in his career. Everything is turning up roses, until he gets a major reminder about the importance of road safety. 
> 
> Also we finally meet Steve, more or less.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Steve! 
> 
> Since this follows the movie, it will be largely told from Bucky's POV but I will break my own rules sometimes to give you some insight into the mind of Steve. 
> 
> For now though we will see him briefly and prepare for more cuteness next update.

To say that Bucky was displeased would be an understatement of epic proportions. He was boiling inside, anger and embarrassment competing for space in his chest. He loved his sister, he really did, but they simply did not see eye to eye when it came to marriage. He hated it when she brought it up in private, much less in front of Clint and their other friends. The silence in the room is still pervasive, leaving a chill in the air. 

“Bucky can we at least talk about this like adults?” Becca pleaded, taking a step towards the table. 

“No Becca. I really don’t think I can talk to you right now. We can deal with this later, when I’m calmer.” Becca let her hand fall. “Didn’t you have a yoga class or something anyway?” Bucky snapped. It was too harsh, but he couldn’t deal with his sister right now. Pietro rose from his chair and came to stand beside Becca. He whispered in her ear, the tension draining out from her face. 

“Okay Bucky. Yeah, I have a class. Maybe we can talk about this in a few days. Once things have settled.” Becca turned to go, walking towards the stairs. Pietro sighed, pushing up his sleeves. He caught Bucky’s eye and nodded, walking back towards his chair. 

With Becca gone, Bucky was left to deal with the awkward aftershocks of a family clash, along with Natasha’s presence. Even Clint had picked up on the increased tension in the room, quietly replacing the bananagrams tiles into their bag. 

“Maybe we should wrap up a little early today, I need to go… wash my dog.” Clint suggested. Bucky stayed still as the rest of the group began to pack up their belongings.

“Well, see you around Buck.” Clint muttered, leaving the table. Bucky grunted and watched him go, shifting his attention back to Natasha. She shifted between her feet, glancing back towards the door and then towards the stairs. 

“You going to Becca’s yoga class?” Bucky asked, getting up from his seat. With the room empty, Bucky felt obligated to try and help Natasha find someplace to go. 

“No, I’ve already done one today.” She said, turning towards Bucky.

“Well, I guess I don’t have much to do.” Bucky knew what he was about to do and he already kind of hated himself for it. “Do you want to get coffee or a smoothie or something? Just since you’re here and we did know each other as kids, so for old times sake or something?” Bucky’s issues with Becca had nothing to do with Natasha as a person. She was caught up in this mess right along with him and maybe what she needed was a friend in a new place.

“That would be good, I think.” Natasha responded, adjusting her bag up on her shoulder. Bucky checked his pockets for his keys and wallet and gestured toward the door. Natasha smiled gently and moved toward the exit. 

“There’s a little cafe just down the block that we think is pretty good.” Bucky mentioned. 

“As long as they make strong black coffee, It will be fine.” Natasha said and gave a small smile.

“That they do” Bucky responded, holding the door open to a small coffee shop. It was all terribly expensive, locally roasted, and ethically traded. Initially Bucky had turned his nose up at this hipster bullshit, but it had cozy decor and polite staff. Also, Bucky was basically a hipster. Besides, it was quiet and the tables were far apart. It was a good place to go when James was having a bad day and couldn’t be in large crowds. 

“Hello James.” The barista waved from behind the glass display. “How are you?” He waved back.

“Hey Aiko.” He said, walking toward the register. “I’m doing okay, it’s been a long morning. I am in need of a chemical pick me up.” Aiko laughed and nodded. 

“That is our specialty. The usual then?” She asked, picking up a cup and marking the side. 

“Yeah, that’s fine. Also whatever she wants.” He said gesturing to Natasha. 

“Oh, hello.” Aiko made eye contact with Natasha. “What’ll it be?” 

“Just a double shot, thanks.” Natasha gave her a small smile. 

“A double shot coming right up. Your name?” She marked up another cup, pen poised over the side.

“Natasha.” 

“Okay James and Natasha, those will be right up. We will bring them to you when they’re ready” She winked at them, ringing up the bill at the register. They walked over to a table near the window, taking their seats quietly. 

“Do most people call you James or Bucky?” Natasha asked, still not looking towards Bucky.

“Well it depends. I guess I use James more professionally; it’s on my business cards. But my friends and family do tend to call me Bucky.” He responded evenly. Natasha nodded, pulling back from the table slightly as their coffees arrived. 

 

“There you go!” Aiko chirped, turning to go back towards the counter. Natasha picked up her coffee carefully, inspecting the offering. Bucky sighed internally, not quite sure what to make of her. He had known Natasha when he was a child, well before being shipped off to an American boarding school in 9th grade. 

“So, what are you up to these days? Last I remember you wanted to be a veterinarian astronaut ballerina.” Bucky chuckled. Natasha took a thoughtful sip of her espresso, smiling softly. 

“That’s still pretty accurate.” She murmured into her coffee. Bucky raised an eyebrow.

“Is that so?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I’m a dancer.” She said, glancing up briefly. “Classical ballet, mostly.”

“That’s pretty awesome, ‘Tash.” Bucky responded. Natasha flinched slightly at the nickname, but Bucky was too occupied by his coffee to notice. “What are you doing in NYC then?” Bucky asked. 

“I am dancing as a guest soloist for the New York City Ballet.” She said. “But I am mostly escaping the Russian ballet cult. I am afraid your sister and I shared a similar desire to run from our upbringing.” She raised an eyebrow, waiting for Bucky’s response.

“ I see. I see.” He said, taking a thoughtful sip of his drink. “I may have been sent abroad, but I do not want to go back, so I know that feeling. How long are you here for?” 

“My guest contract is for one year in total, but I’ll tell you a secret.” She smiled. “I am not going back. I want to stay and teach at a ballet school for children. I already have offers.” 

“Oh.” Bucky wanted to ask her more, but he worried the prying would become too personal. They were childhood playmates, not friends in any real sense. At a loss for what to say, there was a lull in the conversation.

“James, what are you drinking?” Natasha asked, her nose already curled up. 

“Oh, I have a little bit of a sweet tooth when it comes to coffee, I’m afraid.” He grinned rakishly. Natasha’s face scrunched up even further. Bucky rolled his eyes.

“Come off it Natasha, I grew up with Russian aristocracy and then the military. Let me have the little pleasures.” Bucky whined. She attempted to maintain her face of disgust but it crumpled into giggles. 

“You always did have a sweet tooth. You used to sneak desserts out of dinner by hiding them in your pockets, which left terrible stains.” She said, as if the memory was surfacing for the first time in many years. 

“Oh my god, you’re not supposed to remember that. You were like 5 or something.” Bucky put his head into his hands while Natasha continued to giggle at his expense. Bucky was oddly at ease, sipping his drink and making small talk. For a brief moment he entertained the idea of accepting Becca’s hair-brained scheme. He watched Natasha re-braid the end of her hair, which had started to fall out; sunlight from the window played across her face. She really was a lovely woman.

The moment was shattered by a text message playing on his phone. 

“Sorry, work.” He muttered, shifting to retrieve his phone. Natasha waved him off, turning her attention back to her espresso.

True to his assumption, the text was from Pierce congratulating him on his most recent effort and enquiring about this next job. Bucky sighed. He specifically requested at least 24 hours of leave time after each major wedding; a stipulation he did not find unreasonable. However, he was pushing for a promotion and he was loath to walk into work tomorrow without some new project ideas tucked into his briefcase. Bucky glanced over to his watch, noting that it was still early in the afternoon. He had time later.

“Work problems?” Natasha asked as the silence stretched longer and longer. 

“Huh?” Bucky looked up from his phone quickly. “Oh, no not really.” Bucky furrowed his brow, tucking his phone back into his pocket. “Just something I’ll need to take care of later.”

“Alright. We can go now if you can’t stay.” Natasha offered reaching for her bag.

“No, no, no. It’s fine.” Bucky waved her off. “Besides we still need to talk about this whole business with Becca.” Bucky took another sip of his drink.

“Well I still think the idea has merit.” Natasha stated calmly and Bucky choked on his coffee a little bit.

“What?” He nearly shouted, drawing attention from the staff. He smiled sheepishly and sat back. “Natasha you can’t be serious.” He said, voice low. 

“It does make sense James. It would ease my transition to America long term and it would appease your family. We clearly get along well enough to be happy.” She shrugged, meeting Bucky’s gaze head on.

“Natasha I get home at 3 in the morning and leave at 7 more often than I would like. I work nearly every weekend and I am constantly traveling.” Bucky pleaded. Natasha shook her head. 

“This sounds exactly like my own schedule. I practice all the time, I travel with companies and I dance every weekend. It would work well for us.” She countered. 

“Tash that is just not the point. We both left our lives in Russia to get away from this shit. To have a choice in the matter.” He explained. 

“This is a choice.” She muttered. “It makes sense.” 

“No, this is hardly a choice. We don’t even know each other.” He leaned back, exasperated. 

“Of course we know each other, we grew up together.” She responded.

“Hardly. You played with my sister and I visited in the summers off of boarding school. I’m 32 years old, Natasha. What are you, like 22?” He ran a hand through his hair, leaning back. He needed to calm down or he was going to say something he would regret. He reached for his coffee to focus his mind elsewhere, but found the sugary concoction cold and unsatisfying. 

“I am 23.” Natasha muttered.

“My point exactly. Beyond age, I am a disabled combat veteran with carefully managed PTSD and a 70 hour work week. We just don’t know each other anymore.” Bucky folded his arms. He hadn’t meant to tell her his life sob-story but he felt the need to drive this point home.

“I guess you are right. There is much you do not know about me as well.” She said quietly, crossing her arms across her chest. ”I am sorry for wasting your time.” 

“No, no. That’s not the point Natasha.” Buck sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I... “ He paused. “Can’t we try just getting to know each other?” Natasha looked at him warily. “I am not saying yes or no the idea of this weird pseudo-arranged marriage. I’m just thinking that we should test out a friendship first.” Bucky said, offering an olive branch of sorts. He was pretty sure that there would never be an engagement, much less a marriage, but it felt like the quickest way out of this conversation without causing offense. Besides, Natasha was a childhood friend of his and a dear friend of his sister. He did not want to alienate her, just throw her off the arranged marriage plot a little bit.

“Okay.” She answered. “To friendship.” She said, reaching her hand across the table. Bucky smiled wanly and shook her hand, smiling at her. 

“Yeah, to friendship.” 

 

Walking into work the next day, weird-ass arranged Russian marriages were the furthest thing from Bucky’s mind. His briefcase swung a little bit since there was some extra pep in his step. The front lobby of Hydrangea Weddings was normally pretty quiet, but today there was a small drama playing out in a corner. He walked over, detouring from his usual route. 

“What is the problem here?” He asked. A young woman whom he recognized as a fellow consultant’s bride was crying on one of the reception couches. 

“Oh thank god.” Darcy groaned. “I’m so glad you’re here.” He gestured toward the woman. “Thea here is one of Nico’s clients and she has an issue with her hair.” Darcy commented as Bucky turned to the bride-to-be. 

“When is your wedding?” He asked gently. She looked up from beneath her sweatshirt hood, eyes watery. 

“It’s tomorrow.” She squeaked out, bringing on a new round of sobs. 

“Okay, okay. So what is the problem exactly?” He asked. Thea reached for her hood, tugging it back. He hair spilled out, revealing a beautiful shade of blonde… along with an enormous amount of green chlorine staining. 

“Ah I see.” Bucky said calmly. Thea’s face crumpled, preparing for another round of tears. “Not to worry, dear. This is totally fixable.” He smiled as her face relaxed. “Go home. On your way pick up either V8 tomato juice or ketchup, which ever you hate the smell of less. When you get home, use as much as you can on your hair, rub it in all the way to the scalp and all the way to the ends. Tie it up and leave it for about thirty minutes and then wash it out in the shower. Rather than just shampoo, use an even mixture of shampoo and conditioner. Repeat if you think you need to. Tomorrow morning rinse it through with lemon juice and ice water and it will be clear and bright.” He winked at her. “I guarantee you’ll be back to beautiful blond in no time.” He patted her on the shoulder and turned to go. 

“Thank you so much!” Thea shouted as he headed back into the offices. Bucky smiled to himself and began to hum aimlessly. 

“You are a miracle worker man.” Darcy said, popping up next to him. 

“Nope, just experienced.” He smiled over at her. “You’ll learn the tips and tricks as you go.” He went back to humming. 

“You sure are in a good mood today. What’s happening? Huh? You finally get laid?” She winked and elbowed him in the side. 

“Good god no.” He laughed. “But I have heard very exciting news about my future clients.” He said, swinging the door open to Pierce’s office. Darcy scampers in after him, staying near the door. 

“Good morning, Alexander.” He nearly sang. 

“Hello, James. To what do I owe this pleasure?” He asked. Pierce was an intimidating man with gray hair and sharp eyes. His office was austere to say the least. It was entirely white with clean lines and no clutter. The only pop of color was a vase of fresh hydrangeas sitting on his desk; they were replaced with fresh flowers every day. 

“I have the best news you will hear this week.” Bucky said, walking straight up to Peirce’s desk. His signature know-it-all smirk was firmly in place. 

“Please go ahead.” Pierce motioned to the chair in front of him. “Oh, Miss Lewis. Please go and make sure that the guests in the waiting room have refreshments.” Darcy made a sour face, but complied with the dismissal. The door clicked shut behind her. 

“Sharon Carter is getting married.” Bucky said, crossing his arms. “And I am going to get the commission.” Pierce’s eyes sharpened. 

“Sharon Carter, the heiress of the British business empire? Have you locked them down yet?” He asked, his interest clearly peaked. Hook, line and sinker, Bucky thought. 

“Not yet. We’ve spoken over the phone and Sharon and her Aunt are coming to see my work at the Odinson wedding next weekend.” Bucky explained, leaning forward. 

“Good, good.” Pierce nodded his head. “Well, here’s hoping you get this job. It would elevate the company and your status immensely.” He jotted a note on a pad and looked up towards Bucky. 

“I will sign them. And then you will make me partner.” Bucky demanded. Pierce stopped writing notes and immediately looked up. 

“What nonsense is that?” He asked, raising one perfectly manicured eyebrow. 

“If I get this commission I will earn more this year than all of your other planners combined.” Bucky pushed forward. “Times ten.” Pierce took off his glasses, running a hand through his hair. 

“Bucky, I don’t know. You really haven’t been in the industry long enough to be partner at a major firm like Hydrangea Weddings.” He waffled, not making eye contact. 

“With all do respect Alex, either you make me partner or I walk.” Bucky leaned back, letting the challenge sit between them.

“Fine.” Pierce relented, frowning. “If you get this case and it goes off smoothly, I will make you partner.” Bucky stood calmly, thanking his boss for his time. Internally he was jumping for joy, he could do cartwheels or somersaults, but he worked to contain his excitement. 

Before Bucky could leave Pierce asked one more question. “Who is the groom?” 

“Some pediatrician. No one well known. It hardly matters though.” Bucky shrugged it off, he would find out in good time. He was sure. 

After shutting the door behind him, Bucky glanced down at his watch. Shit. He needed to be at a bakery for a tasting in less than half an hour.

_____________________________________________

 

Moving quickly, Bucky weaved his way through the busy New York streets. Only a few years ago, a chaotic scene like this would have sent him into a dizzying panic cycle, but today he only felt joy and pride at how far he had come since those days. He pulled out his phone and quickly scrolled to Darcy’s number. She should be taking her mid-morning coffee break right about now. 

Sure enough she picked up on the second ring. “What’s up Bucky-cup?” She asked.

“Hey Drace! I have amazing news! You know Sharon Carter?” He asked, skirting around a group of tourists. 

“Yeah, the business CEO? She’s pretty kick ass.” Darcy responded. 

“Well she’s getting married, and if I land the case, Pierce said he’d make me partner!” Bucky couldn’t contain himself. He was too excited not to tell her immediately. 

“Oh my god Bucky! That is incredible. Holy shit. Partner.” Bucky laughed, looking both ways before crossing a busy street. He noticed a small dog wandering in the middle of the road a few feet away. He watched it for a few seconds before realizing that the tiny dog’s leash was caught up in the storm drain. It was completely stuck. Of course, a car was speeding down the road, totally oblivious to the trapped animal. 

Distantly Bucky could hear Darcy’s running commentary about how he could improve the company as partner, but all he could focus on was the impending disaster. Suddenly he knew what he was going to do, and he also knew that he would seriously regret this. 

Dropping his suitcase, he sprinted towards the dog, making a mad grab for the leash. He could hear the squeal of the approaching car’s breaks. The leash simply would not budge, the chord too tangled in the grate. He could feel the familiar spike of adrenaline and he clicked into command mode. Thinking quickly, he grabbed the animal from underneath his stomach, using his metal hand to unclip the leash from the collar. He tucked the dog into the curve of his chest, but the car was moving too fast and it was simply too late. He covered the animal with his metal arm and prepared for impact. 

Except rather than the crunch of metal and bone he was expecting, he was knocked onto his side out of the way of the oncoming vehicle. The car barely stopped before it sped away. Bucky’s head snapped hard against the pavement, causing the entire world to warp and spin alarmingly. 

He could hear a voice speaking nonsense that slowly formed into words. 

“Are you okay? Don’t move!” The voice was nice, pleasantly deep and very close. Bucky blinked slowly, wondering absently if the dog was okay. He thought maybe the nice voice might know. He tried to vocalize his question, but all that came out was a slurred set of sounds. 

“Woah, woah. Easy there.” Nice voice was back. Then a face appeared above him. A very pretty face with a strong jaw and blonde hair. It looked soft. Bucky thought it’d be nice to touch it if the world stopped spinning for a bit. 

“You okay?” Nice voice was talking again. Oh. Nice voice came from the angel hovering above him. That made sense, Bucky thought. Pretty voice for a pretty face. 

“I think so.” Bucky managed to croak out. Angel face smiled and that was even nicer, Bucky thought. 

“Good, okay.” He said, disappearing from view again. Bucky tried to follow, but the world started to spin way too fast and a gentle hand pushed his shoulders back down. “No no, stay where you age.” Nice hair and dreamy jawline spoke again, reappearing. “I just wanted to check on the dog. He seems fine, by the way. Malnourished, but not injured.” He smiled. Right. That needed to stay on his face forever. 

“‘S good news.” Bucky mumbled, giving a little smile. He winced instead. 

“Okay, are you in pain? Dizzy? Having trouble breathing?” The pretty man asked.  
“My head hurts an’ I’m dizzy. Breathing is okay.” He answered. 

“That’s good news. Just sit tight and we’ll get you some help soon, okay?” Nice voice asked. 

“Thanks.” Bucky said, the world fading in and out of focus. “You smell really nice. Kinda like apple pie and… plums...” Bucky mumbled. He could hear a lovely laugh and then the world went black for a long time.


	3. When Steve Rogers asks you to dance...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Bucky finally have a lucid conversation. Tony and Pepper stop over to have a heart-to-heart and Darcy may or may not be playing pokemon go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is mention of hospitals and medical gear in this, if that bothers you. Also a brief discussion of Steve's mother's death.

Very suddenly, the world was too bright. Bucky’s eyes snapped open, hands clawing at the sheets beneath him. The smell of antiseptic and sickness flooded his senses and clogged his lungs. His mind turned in on itself, conjuring memories of unrelenting pain, merging reality with the past.

Then, the panic set in. Bucky’s hands flew to his throat convulsing around a tube that was never inserted, limbs struggling against invisible restraints. Phantom pains shot up and down his left arm and his muscles locked up. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Bucky knew that he was physically fine, this was just a panic attack, but that small voice was drowned out by traumatic memories and the wailing scream of anxiety. 

“Woah, woah, woah,” a voice sounded from the door. Though it seemed familiar, Bucky could not turn his head to see who it was. “Oh my god.” The voice came closer. Cool hands settled on his shoulders and on his forehead. That same marvelous blond hair from the accident shifted into his vision and a soothing voice began to speak.

“Whoa, it’s alright. Shhh, you’re fine. Perfectly fine.” The voice repeated platitudes for a few moments while Bucky took great gulping breaths. Slowly but surely his breathing and heart rate returned to safe, if still elevated, levels. After a few moments he was able to do a mental check of his body. During his days as a sniper, he often needed to assess physical readiness quickly and accurately. Luckily those skills worked just as well under medical duress as they did during missions. Everything was operational. He was sore, but unharmed. A few more great heaving gasps and Bucky was able to breathe relatively normally. 

“Hey, hey.” The angelic man continued to speak, running his hands softly across Bucky’s forehead. He smiled as Bucky calmed down. “There you go. You okay?” He asked, sitting back somewhat. 

Bucky grunted, managing “Think so.” in response to the question. 

“Let me just do one more quick thing,” he muttered, prodding along Bucky’s neck for a moment and looking in his eyes. “Looks good.” He concluded, giving his shoulder a final pat. “You can try sitting up now, if you feel well enough.” Bucky nodded, moving into a sitting position. His stomach lurched unpleasantly at first, but he swallowed through the nausea. He glanced around the room: the sterile white walls and minimal furniture were disturbingly familiar, but there were small dashes of color, pastel pinks and blues, and cutesy shapes and cut outs. His was the only bed in the room, making for cramped corners. The man who had tackled him earlier was busy writing on a sheet of paper. He was wearing a white coat, Bucky realized with a start. 

“Where am I?” Bucky coughed, his voice louder than he was expecting. The apparently-a-doctor opened his mouth to respond, but before he could a small ball of tangled hair and skinny limbs barreled into the room, diving straight for the doctor’s legs. 

“You’re in the children’s ward at SHIELD Medical Center. Room 461.” The little girl answered, half hidden behind the now blushing doctor. She was quite young, perhaps 6 years old. He wondered absently about her parents. 

“Kate, you are not allowed to be in here.” He spoke, glancing down at the child. Her bottom lip stuck out a little bit.

“But Dr. Steve!” She whined. “The other kids are doing boring things. I want to do rounds with you!” She latched onto his coat. “I’m gonna be a doctor one day, so I should start practicing.” She said proudly, looking at Bucky. 

“It’s okay if she wants to stay.” Bucky found himself saying without really realizing it. Kate sucked back in her bottom lip and gave Bucky a quick smile, still curious about the newcomer. 

“Dr. Steve, I have something to tell you.” She said very seriously, eyes not leaving Bucky. Bucky watched the doctor-who-might-be-steve try not to roll his eyes at Kate’s antics. “I do not think he is a child.” She continued, serious in her consideration. Bucky couldn’t help but chuckle, which caused Kate to cling even more tightly to Steve’s jacket. 

“Go find America, Kate, she should be done with her therapy for today.” Steve gestured, “I need to talk to my new friend James, okay?” He asked. Bucky started slightly at the use of his given first name. Oblivious to Bucky’s discomfort, Kate agreed and bounded out of the room and down the hall.

“Sorry about her.” Steve shrugged apologetically. “It comes with being a pediatric doctor, I guess.” His smile was still as charming as ever, which was saying something in the middle of a hospital. “Just fyi, you are at SHIELD Medical Center and you are in Room 461. I am Steve Rogers, a doctor here.” He stuck out his hand toward Bucky. “Though we haven’t been introduced formally, I had to take a peek at your driver’s liscence to get some basic information. It’s James, right?” Bucky extended his hand to meet Angel Steve’s hand. 

“Yeah. Yes. But my friends call me Bucky.” He sputtered, trying to focus his foggy mind.

“It’s nice to meet you actually meet you, Bucky.” Steve smiled again, something he did quite a lot. Not that Bucky was complaining. “Well, you seem to be fine. No concussion, no serious injury. You might be a bit sore from the impact tomorrow though.” He explained, pocketing his notes. Bucky took the information in slowly, giving it time to digest. 

“Thank you for tackling me, by the way.” Bucky responded, rubbing a hand down his face. “So,uh… How did I even get here?” He asked before Steve could demure from the praise. 

“Oh, well, I was meeting my friend Sam for a coffee nearby, so I had him help me carry you here. He’s the head of nursing, but also a bit of a secret body builder so we were able to manage just fine.” Steve said, leaning against the table in the corner. Bucky could feel his face turning beet red at the thought of the tiny, willowy doctor trying to lug Bucky around in New York City.   
“Well this is not the best first impression I’ve ever made.” Bucky managed with a chuckle. “Also probably not the worst.” Steve ducked his head.

“Yeah, saving a puppy’s life is just such a indication of poor character. Puppy savers can’t be trusted.” Steve rolled his eyes. 

“Yeah well, a puppy saver saved by a people saver. One who spends most of his time saving sick kids. I guess we both know how to make an entrance.” Bucky responded. He found himself grinning over at Steve whose cheeks had turned a pretty shade of pink. He’s flirting with you and you’re flirting back. The unwelcome through niggled it’s way into Bucky’s brain. 

“We should get you out of here, huh?” Steve said, patting aimlessly at his pockets. “You probably don’t love hospitals.” He said and immediately went very still. “I didn’t mean…” He began, eyes darting towards the high tech prosthetic Bucky wore. 

“I’d appreciate that, actually.” Bucky hoisted himself off the bed, allowing himself a few moments to regain his footing so that he could walk normally. “Yeah hospital rooms are not my favorite, but a pediatrics ward is pretty ‘armless.” He deadpanned, wiggling his metal fingers. Steve sputtered for a second before grinning.

“Alright, wise guy, let’s go to my office so I can check you out.” He said, walking towards the door. It took about three steps for him to turn around, looking completely mortified. “I did NOT mean that the way it came out.” He responded, turning a deeper shade of crimson. 

“I get it. Let’s just get going before you keel over out of embarrassment.” Bucky winked. Honestly he wouldn’t mind finding all the other ways to make Steve turn that particular shade of red. Luckily that train of thought was quickly derailed when he began to check his pockets. 

“Where is my phone?” Bucky asked, picking up his pace as he walked out of the room. 

“Oh! We kept it in my office with your wallet.” He glanced over at Bucky, clearly reading the panic across his face. “Don’t worry! We called your last outgoing call, a woman named, uh” Steve frowned. “Darcy, I think? She said she’d deal with your commitments.” He explained. Bucky heaved a sigh. 

“Great. Darcy knows my schedule so she should have taken care of everything.” He explained. “That’s a welcome relief.” Steve chuckled and gestured to a door on his left, slowing. Steve entered his office and walked toward his desk. The room was warm, filled with natural sunlight. Nearly every surface had neatly arranged books; it felt to Bucky like a cozy library in a furniture magazine. Pictures dotted the open surfaces, many of them clearly previous patients. Steve plopped down into his desk chair as Bucky more carefully eased down into the opposite chair. He was definitely going to feel this tomorrow. 

“Speaking of Darcy,” Steve began. “She should be here in a few minutes. The nursing station called to let her know when you woke up.” Bucky nodded, glancing around the room. The light, flirty feeling from before seemed far away. He tapped at his chair restlessly, desperate for a conversational topic.

“That’s great.” He muttered. A photograph behind the desk caught his eye. Steve, younger and, incredibly, even smaller, grinned proudly between an older gentleman and a middle aged woman. He was wearing a pristine white coat and had a stethoscope draped around his neck. The couple in the photograph stood on either side of him, also in white coats and beaming with pride. Steve clearly noticed him staring and made a confused noise. 

“Oh, uh,” Bucky began, feeling the need to explain his staring, “Are those your parents?” he blurted out. Steve turned to look at the photograph, moving back in his chair. 

“Oh, well, not really.” Steve started, not making eye contact. “My parents died when I was a child.” He moved a pen across his desk as Bucky felt his stomach bottom out. “Don’t worry about it.” Steve said, noticing Bucky’s sudden change in demeanor. “The man is my adopted father, so you weren’t entirely wrong.” He grinned. “Dr. Erskine, also a pediatrician. He helped immensely with my sickliness as a kid.” 

“And is she his, uh, wife?” Bucky hesitated to ask, but he was grasping at straws. 

“No,” Steve chuckled. “She was my mentor during my fellowship. Her name is Peggy Carter. She really solidified my interest in pediatrics. We’ve stayed in contact and become good friends.” Steve smiled. “They really are as close to parents as I have, I guess.” Steve smiled. “Found family, but family all the same.” 

“My little sister moved from Russia just a few months ago. It’d been a very long time since I had seen her.” Bucky smiled, “It’s good to have some family around again.” Steve’s ears perked up at the mention of Russia. 

“Your sister lived in Russia?” Steve asked, leaning forward onto his desk a little more. 

“Yeah, we both lived there as kids actually. I went to school here though, while she stayed back with my grandparents.” Bucky explained, Steve looked like he was about to ask another question, but he was interrupted by the door to his office banging open loudly. 

“Holy fuck buckets, you asshole!” Darcy screamed, running into the office. Steve cringed at the profanity. It looked for a second like he wanted to reprimand her, but he could barely get a word in edgewise. 

“You were so happy, just like on the phone talking about making partner and then there was screeching and people yelling and then just nothing.” Darcy was encroaching on wailing level of hysteria so Bucky got up from his seat and went over to her. “And I tried to call you but you didn’t pick up and I don’t know, I thought maybe you’d killed someone or had an episode or like stole a car or something.” Bucky scrunched his face up. 

“Why did all the possibilities involve me committing a felony?” Bucky asked, but Darcy just threw her arms around his shoulders, covering Bucky’s face in her wild, dark hair. 

“I mean it’s like impossible to injure you, since you’re half robot and all.” She muttered into his shoulder. Bucky rolled his eyes. “But then the hospital called and I came right away.” She finished, sniffling a bit. “I did take care of your meetings though, and moved the rest of your day until later in the week.” She pulled out of the hug, wiping at her eyes. 

“I’m fine Darc’.” He patted her shoulders, turning back to Steve who had an odd expression on his face. 

“Oh, Darcy, this is Steve, he is a pediatrician here and also the one who rescued me.” He gestured to Steve. “And this is Darcy, my assistant.” 

“Yes, we spoke on the phone.” Steve smiled warmly, extending his hand. Darcy walked toward the desk and shook his hand. When she turned around, she winked at Bucky, making a hand gesture that was borderline obscene. Bucky rolled his eyes.

“Well!” Steve said, ignoring Darcy’s odd behavior. “Everything looks great on my end. I can’t speak much for the prosthetic though, so it might be worth getting that checked out by whoever would know about that.” He frowned. Bucky nodded. 

“I’ll contact Tony when he’s back in the country.” He said more to himself than the others in the room.

“Don’t worry about that!” Darcy said off-handedly. “I called Tony. Him and Pep will be back at the tower this afternoon. They said to stop by whenever we wanted.” She explained. Bucky sighed heavily. “Oh relax Tin Soldier, they’re just stopping in overnight so that Pepper can take care of some emergency work and Tony can get his need to tinker out of his system for another few days. They’re heading out to Iceland after to finish off the honeymoon.” She explained, tapping at her iphone. 

“Tony, as in Tony Stark?” Steve asked, immediately blushing. “Not that it’s my business, but as a doctor who works heavily in childhood trauma, a prosthetic like that is of interest to me.” He hurriedly explained. 

“Yeah, actually. I am part of an experimental study he is conducting for advanced robotics prosthetics.” He held his arm up in front of him. “There’s still a lot to work out, but I know he has written some promising papers.” Steve nodded, jotting something down on a sticky note. Bucky started to fuss with his clothes, looking towards Darcy. 

“We should really get going now.” He said. Darcy raised her eyebrows and looked at Steve and then back at Bucky. He rolled his eyes, again and shook his head. Steve got up from his desk and walked over to them, holding a few items. 

“Here. I’ve handled the check out paperwork, and I kept your personal items in my office to make getting you out easier.” He smiled. “Your wallet,” he said, holding it out. Bucky took it. “Your phone, and your briefcase.” He said easily passing Bucky the items. “Also,” Steve paused, holding the sticky note he’d been writing on earlier in his hand. “Here. This is my work number and my, ah, personal number.” He handed Bucky the sticky note. “In case Tony finds something in the arm that needs urgent care, you can just call me.” His cheeks turned that same pretty shade of pink from earlier. Bucky took the sticky note, tucking it into his wallet.

“Thank you again, Steve, you made a shitty day, well, less shitty.” Bucky managed. It felt a little like he was choking on his words and he could practically hear Darcy giggling in her head. 

“Well then.” Bucky said, turning towards the door. 

“Steve.” Darcy said, Bucky glanced at her and saw the mischievous glint in her eye. That was never, ever good news. “I know that this is a little odd, but I couldn’t help notice that you have quite a few swing music records up on that shelf.” She said gesturing to a small record collection behind Steve’s desk. For the millionth time that day, Bucky felt his stomach lurch and his cheeks burn. 

“I do love the classics.” Steve agreed, smiling. Darcy nodded, smirking. 

“Well, I happen to know the guy who puts on the free movies on the side of the building in the park…” Darcy began, “and tonight, my inside man tells me that they’re playing Swing Time.” 

“Oh! I love that movie.” Steve responded, walking straight into Darcy’s trap.

“Bucky and I always go, and we should be finished dealing with Stark by then.” Darcy said, steamroller-ing any attempts Bucky made to object. “You should come with us! As a little thank you!” Darcy said, tone sugary-sweet.

“Oh, I couldn’t…” Steve began. 

“Are you on shift?” She asked quickly, taking a step toward him.

“Well, no, not tonight.” Steve responded, too naive for his own good. 

“Then I won’t take no for an answer! Just meet us at the old carriage house near the east entrance at 8 pm.” Steve looked briefly like he wanted to object, but Darcy didn’t give him any time to think. “Okay, see you then!” She called nearly pulling Bucky out of the office. 

“Okay?” Steve half waved after them, looking thoroughly confused. 

“Bucky will text you the details, see you tonight!” She called down the hall, practically towing Bucky to the exit all by herself. 

Outside, Bucky yanked his arm from Darcy’s grip. “Darcy I cannot believe you did that. You are utterly impossible.” He moaned covering his face with his hand. She merely smiled and hailed a cab. 

“Stark Tower.” She said, sliding into the back with Bucky. The cab driver swerved out into traffic and Bucky leaned against the window. Truth be told, he was utterly exhausted and the aches and pains from his fall were beginning to let themselves be known. He knew that a visit to Tony, while good for his arm, would do nothing good for his mounting headache. Darcy didn’t speak for the duration of the cab ride, her fake nails clicking away against her phone screen. The noise was annoying, but he knew she was most likely handling the fallout from his accident. 

The cab pulled up outside of the tower, imposing in both height and architecture. Darcy and Bucky headed inside, waving at the front desk and heading towards the elevators. They were well-known faces; in the beginning Bucky needed maintenance on his arm at least once a week. They walked the familiar halls, gaining access to Tony’s private lab. It looked nearly the same as when Tony and Bucky had left for the wedding ceremony. The project Tony was working on at the time still resembled a mountain of metal and oil more than any identifiable object. 

“James!” Pepper’s voice echoed across the large room. “Oh my goodness, are you alright?” She walked as fast as her towering stilettos would allow her, invading Bucky’s personal space. “We were just so worried when Darcy called!” Her hands fluttered up and down Bucky’s chest.   
“Pepper, I’m fine. Totally cleared by the doctor. We just wanted to make sure none of the mechanics were damaged in the process.” Bucky explained, keeping his voice level. Despite her somewhat intimidating exterior, Bucky never felt anything but deep warmth for Pepper. He thought of her as a sister. 

“Good. I’m glad James. It’s just such a relief.” She said, looking back to where Tony emerged from the hallway, drying his hands on a towel. 

“Alright, I’m all cleaned up and ready to patch you up Frankenstark.” He smiled. Pepper sighed. 

“Well I could use a little break. Darcy, come have a cup of coffee with me while the boys have their check up.” She smiled, taking Darcy’s elbow. 

“Don’t mind if I do.” Darcy said, smiling. Darcy started asking questions about the honeymoon before the two women even reached the elevator and Pepper’s laugh could be heard echoing down the hallway. 

“Shall we?” Bucky asked, gesturing to the usual exam chair set up with mechanical framing for the prosthetics. 

“Sure.” Tony said as they moved toward the rig. “Any obvious issues?” He asked, unusually serious for the infamous Tony Stark.

“No, uh, it feels totally fine actually.” Bucky said, rotating his shoulder around it’s socket. 

“Good, good.” Tony muttered, settling into the rolling stool he used and bringing up the digital schematics for the arm. 

“Sorry for calling you in like this. Honestly, it was an overreaction.” Bucky settled back as Tony popped open the metal plates that covered the inner mechanics of the arm. 

“Actually I’m grateful. We don’t usually get to do check ups post serious accidents with the prosthetics.” He picked up a screw driver and began to work open a set of panels in tricep area. “It’s a lacking part of the study, but there were quote, ethical concerns, with asking people to stress test prosthetics.” He explained in a detached manner. 

“I’m sure.” Bucky responded trying his best not to move too much during the systems testing. “Still, I feel bad.” 

“You shouldn’t.” Tony responded. “Best possible outcome.” Tony smiled. “There is no external damage, except for a few minor scratches and the systems testing went through flawlessly. A true piece of StarkTech. Better than new.” He smiled, shifting the digital screens and his tools around. “Since this was short, we should buff out those scratches and keep you shiny and pretty for your big fancy job.” Bucky agreed, settling back as Tony smoothed the metal plates on his arm. 

“Besides,” Tony began. “Pepper would have never forgiven me if we didn’t come back and check in with you.” There was a heavy pause with no sound aside from the buffer. “I mean don’t get me wrong, I may be a self-centered ego-maniac but not even I’m emotionally stunted enough to not think of you as family.” He muttered. Bucky smiled to himself. 

“Thanks, Tony.” he mumbled. Tony pulled away, setting his tools down and wiping his hands on his jeans. “Really though, you have not only given me an arm back, but you and Pepper took me in when I had nowhere to go.” Tony shifted a little bit in his seat.

“Yeah, well Pepper has a thing for strays, but I’m allergic to cats. I guess you were the compromise.” He tinkered with the items on his workbench. “Plus it worked out okay for us. We took in one seriously damaged homeless vet for a few months and got a friend who is a high-end wedding planner and has personal connections with all the best bakeries in the city.” He smiled to himself. “Plus, you’ll never forget our anniversary, which means by proxy, I will never forget our anniversary. So really it’s a win-win.” He turned back to Bucky, crossing his arms. 

“Ha-ha, very funny. But I’m serious, thank you.” Bucky smiled gently. 

“If you’re about to get any more mushy with me just keep it inside until Pepper gets back. She knows how to deal with these emotional things.” Tony whined, pushing himself across the room on his stool. Bucky chuckled to himself as he sat up, examining the new-car shine on his arm. Maybe visiting Tony wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

_________________________________________

Getting to spend free time with Tony and Pepper again was such a welcome distraction that Bucky completely lost track of time. 

“Buck, do you want to change before the movie tonight?” Darcy leaned over the table and asked him quietly. He quickly glanced down at his phone and choked a little bit on his drink.

“I did not realize how late it had gotten!” He sputtered, earning a laugh from Pepper. “Yeah, actually, we can just swing by my apartment on our way, I guess.” He murmured, collecting his items. 

“The movies, huh?” Pepper asked, raising her eyebrow. 

“We’re going to one of Clint’s outdoor movie showings in the park tonight.” Bucky explained. “They’re always a good time.” He smiled.

“Plus the really hot, totally interested doctor that treated Bucky is going to be there, since I invited him.” Darcy said with a self-satisfied smile. 

“Invited is generous. More like totally forced into.” Bucky scowled. 

“A doctor? Who treated you?” Pepper asked, her eyes lighting up. “That might be the cutest how-we-met story I’ve heard in a long time.” She continued. 

“Hey!” Tony interrupted. 

“Tony I was practically your secretary. There was nothing cute about how we met. It took you years to ask me out and I repeatedly had to kick your one night stands out and wash puke out of your sheets. I repeat: Nothing. Cute.” She growled. 

“Fair point.” Tony said, taking a sip of his coffee. 

“This is not a date.” Bucky groused, “He is not interested in me. He is a nice man who happens to be very attractive. And he is only coming because Darcy practically threatened his first-born unless he showed up.” He ran a hand through his hair. 

“Oh shut up debbie downer. Let’s go make you look cute.” Darcy cooed, standing up.

“Well then, we’ll be off I guess.” Bucky said, waving to Tony and Pepper. They said their goodbyes and Bucky and Darcy headed out of Stark Tower. 

They hailed a cab and sat in companionable silence except for the click-clack of Darcy’s nails on her phone.

“Got it!” Darcy shouted all of the sudden. 

“Do not tell me you’re playing pokemon go.” Bucky whined, instantly fearing for his favorite collaborator’s productivity. 

“No, no.” She denied. “I’ve just decided what shirt you should wear! We may have to dig in your closet a bit to find it though... “ She trailed off. Once again, Bucky felt a sense of impending doom. He loved Darcy, he really did, and her wedding planning style matched well with his, but most days he genuinely wondered if her company was healthy for him.

_____________________________________________

“Darcy I look like a stripper who is trying to convince their date they are not in fact a stripper but also has to be at the club in 15 minutes.” Bucky said, brow furrowed. They were walking briskly down the sidewalk. The unusually large crowd meant they’d had to park fairly far away.

“Then I did my job.” She smiled, patting his shoulder. “Besides, any day these jeans sit in your closet is a day wasted.” She nodded sagely. 

“I don’t even know why I own these clothes. They’re not anything I would wear of my own volition.” Bucky emphasized, gritting his teeth. He reached up to tie his hair back with the elastic Darcy had handed him earlier. He wondered if she would object to the very small, very messy pony tail, but she simply nodded her head. 

“That’s because you are a wedding planner.” She explained, turning the last corner before they got to the gates. “You always have to look like you’re the sexual equivalent of someone’s grandma. We can’t have you seducing the bride. Or the groom. Or both. Really anyone.” She shrugged. Bucky tugged at the leather jacket, the stiff fabric pulling at the thin t-shirt beneath it. Bucky made a small noise of distress. “For the record you could 100% seduce anyone you wanted in that.” Externally, Bucky glared at his friend, internally he was banging his head against the nearest wall. Darcy had stolen his phone earlier and had been texting Steve for about 20 minutes. Bucky did not know what she was saying to him and he was pretty sure he never wanted to find out. 

Bucky could see the carriage house past the gate now. Swallowing hard, Bucky began to slow down his walking pace, casually glancing around. He was just about ready to call it quits when Darcy suddenly started to bounce next to him. 

“Steve!” She shouted. “Over here!” Bucky could feel his stomach churning. Darcy held his arm in a death grip with one hand, madly waving with the other. Undeterred by Bucky’s resistance Darcy lurched them forward towards the entrance. Bucky shuffled along beside her, suddenly fascinated by his shoes. 

“Steve!” She called again, except this time Steve responded. 

“Hey guys!” He shouted in return. Darcy stopped moving forward and sharply elbowed Bucky in the side.

“Hey!” She responded. Bucky looked up and immediately he regretted doing so. Steve had also apparently changed after work. He was wrapped in a soft, oversized sweater. The dark blue lit up his eyes and he looked gorgeous, smiling brilliantly. Bucky reminded himself silently that he was NOT interested in dating. Anybody. Not even an intelligent, compassionate, adorable, pediatric doctor. He realized that Steve and Darcy were chatting away amiably and he was standing there, not saying a word. Steve looked over to him and frowned. 

“You okay?” He asked kindly. “You did take quite a fall this morning.” It was absolutely unbelievable that it was only this morning that he’d discussed the Carter wedding with Alexander and tried to save a puppy. 

“I’m totally fine. Really. More than fine.” Bucky responded, running a hand through his hair. “I’m, uh, great.” God, he hated himself. Steve just smiled and Darcy ushered them through the crowd and into the movie. As they wove toward their usual seats toward the back, Darcy stopped suddenly. 

“Oh no!” She said, voice unusually high. 

“What is it?” Steve asked, voice full of concern. 

“Darcy…” Bucky began in warning. 

“Shoot! I totally promised my friend Jane that I would, uh, wash her particle accelerator tonight. And she’s going out of town tomorrow. To, uh, Norway. For science stuff.” She explained, mimeing washing with her hands. 

It took all of Bucky’s considerable mental control not to groan out loud. 

“Oh! That sounds…” Steve trailed off “like quite a project…” He finished. 

“Yeah, damn, I guess I have to go.” She motioned toward the entrance. “Too bad! Well have fun!” She sing songed, slipping Bucky’s phone into his pocket and dashing off. 

“Good luck with the particle accelerator.” Steve called after her. 

“I am so sorry about Darcy.” Bucky apologized as Steve continued to stare after her disappearing form. 

“No, it’s okay.” He frowned. “At least it was a creative way to ditch us. Let’s just find a seat.” Steve responded, looking around the area. 

“No, no.” Bucky shook his head. “We have special reserved seating.” He winked at Steve and headed back towards a small thicket of trees. Steve followed, looking slightly unsure of his own actions. 

“No offense, but where the fuck are we going?” Steve asked. 

“It’s a little strange.” Bucky laughed and headed into the front of the trees. Steve followed him in reluctantly. In front of them a woman sat on a bench. 

“Hey Hill.” Bucky called. The woman smiled at him, getting up. The bench swung back and forth. 

“This is Hill, she does security for the movies and always saves me and Darcy the best seat in the house.” He explained, motioning for Steve to sit on the newly vacated bench. 

“No problem James.” She responded. “I’ll see you around.” She waved and left the thicket. 

“It’s a modified porch swing. It hangs from some tree branches but it’s a little quieter without people quite so close.”Bucky mentioned, sitting next to Steve. Hill did not move very far away, still within ear shot. 

“So, you seem to have some interesting friends. The guy who plays these movies, park security…” Steve wiggled an eyebrow. 

“I know them all from the same place, funnily enough.” Bucky responded. Steve cocked his head to the side. “It’s a tabletop gaming club.” He admitted. “The absolute pinnacle of coolness, I know.” 

“No, no. It’s really kind of adorable actually.” Bucky felt himself blush. “I played a lot in college but sort of fell off the wagon in med school. I’d like to get back into it.” Steve continued. 

“We meet on Saturdays and it’s open to whoever stops by.” Bucky offered. “I’ll send you the details, if you’re interested.” 

“Yeah! That’d be great, actually.” He grinned, turning his attention to his candy. 

“What are you doing?” Bucky asked Steve, glancing over at his palm. He was busily sorting all of his skittles by color.

“Oh. I only like citrus ones. So I always get rid of the red, purple and green ones. I really only eat lemon and orange.” He explained. Bucky’s hand shot out and stole a few red skittles. 

“That’s pretty adorable too.” Bucky said without thinking. Steve blushed and stammered out something unintelligible, going back to sorting out the colors. “Well it works out anyway, since red is my favorite.” He smirked, popping a few into his mouth. Steve giggled and picked up the pile of reject skittles in his other hand. 

“All yours.” He gestured for Bucky to take them. Reaching with his right hand, Bucky let their fingers brush against each other as Steve let the skittles drop into his palm. Some part of Bucky wanted to throw the skittles behind the bench and just kiss Steve, but the rational part of him knew that sharing candy you didn’t like to begin with was hardly a declaration of love.

He sat back as the movie began to play. Usually him and Darcy bickered and misbehaved all the way through, but Steve’s love of the movie stilled his normal unsettledness. He realized he could feel the warmth coming off of Steve’s sweater against his side. 

They reached a point in the movie with a slower dance song and couples began to gather on the grass to dance. Steve’s eyes lit up watching the scene before him. 

“I didn’t think things this cheesy happened anymore.” He commented, turning towards Bucky. 

“As a wedding planner, I would like to think there are a few romantics left among us.” Bucky commented. He paused and took a fortifying inhale. “Dance with me?” He asked. Steve hesitated, clearly uncomfortable with the idea. Bucky immediately moved to back off, giving him some space. It was totally possible he’d misread the signals. It had been such a long time since he even tried to flirt with somebody. 

“Buck…” Steve began, trailing off just as Hill approached from the side. 

“Don’t worry too much around here. People are pretty accepting and it’s all in good fun. A little dancing never did any harm.” She smiled quickly and walked toward the growing group of dancers. 

“Please, don’t worry about it, it’s totally fine.” Bucky started to explain himself. He knew his friends meant well, but their tactics could be difficult to handle at the best of times. 

“No, she’s right. It’s just a little dance.” Steve stood up, straightening his sweater. “Dance with me.” He said, holding his hand out. Bucky hesitated for a moment before taking it and letting Steve lead him to the edge of the grass-turned-dance floor. There was an awkward moment before Steve slipped his arms around Bucky’s neck and Bucky let himself hold Steve’s waist. 

“I love the music in this movie so much.” Steve mumbled, quiet enough that only Bucky could really hear him.

“It is pretty great.” Bucky answered. Steve’s frame was petite, but Bucky could feel defined, lean muscle along his sides. Their bodies seemed to fit together just perfectly, Steve’s head tucked under his chin. Bucky began to feel quite warm and happy on the inside. Then again, that could just be the effect of being wrapped up in Steve’s giant sweater. (But more likely it was that Bucky was totally wrapped up in the man himself). After a few quiet moments, Steve pulled back slightly, his nose inches from Bucky’s. Briefly, Bucky thought Steve was about to say something but instead they just stood there for a moment, still in the cool night. They were so close that Bucky could feel Steve’s breath against his mouth. He leaned in ever so slightly, praying he wasn’t misreading the situation.   
Their lips barely brushed against each other, a hint of cologne and the lingering impression of fake lemon flavor hung in the air between them as giant, fat raindrops began to fall from the sky. 

Immediately pandemonium broke loose. People sprinted across the grass, collected their things and bolted for the exit as the skies let loose an extraordinary downpour. Bucky and Steve broke apart, the spell of the moment ruined. After a few seconds, they both made a run for the exit. Among the throng of people, it was surprisingly easy to find Steve’s hand with his, pulling them both towards his car. By the time they found it, the crowds had dissipated enough for conversation.   
“This is my car.” Bucky explained, gesturing to it. “I could give you a ride home, or wherever you wanted to go.” Bucky offered hoping their evening did not have to end so soon. 

Steve shook his head. “I am already soaking wet and I live just around the corner. I’m just gonna head home.” He said, already backing away as the rain came down even harder.”But thanks, Bucky. Tonight was…” he trailed off, “tonight was an adventure.” He finished, turning and sprinting down the street. Bucky thought about calling after him, but he did not know what to say. Texting him later seemed like the better option. He threw himself into the driver’s seat, leaking water across the leather interior. He started the car and flicked on the heater, turning towards home. 

He smiled like an idiot the whole way there.


	4. It's hard to swing dance with your head up your ass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor and Jane's wedding is a success and Bucky secures the Carter account. 
> 
> We meet the mysterious fiance and things start to go south.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo yo yo, thank you all for the support, it has been great! I have some really amazing fanart that I'll be sticking into this work really soon, so keep a look out for that! 
> 
> Warnings for sad Stucky feels.

When Bucky’s alarm went off at 6:00 the next morning, he jumped out of bed with a shit eating grin on his face. He wasn’t normally a morning person, but a night like last night could turn that around for just about anyone. He could feel aches and pains springing up around his body but some light stretching confirmed that it was nothing a few advil couldn’t fix. Sure, most people would not work the day after such a hospital visit, but this was one of the most important events in Bucky’s career. Two weekends back to back with two of the year’s biggest weddings, both planned by Bucky, would make his name. And in a few months, the Carter wedding would shoot him to stardom. After all, energy ceo, nordic aristocracy and an international business mogul create a tidy resume for an up and coming wedding planner. 

After a quick shower and a little hair styling, Bucky pulled on a beautifully tailored charcoal suit. Tony and Pepper had a very modern ceremony, fit more for the emerging, new wealth crowd and far more casual than the normal elite affair. Thor and Jane on the other hand required an entirely different set up. Half the room would be filled by norse royalty. As if that wasn’t intimidating enough, the other half would be filled with the most elite physicists in the world (that included a few nobel prize winners, the bride included). Bucky threw together his bag for the day, making sure all of his emergency kits were fully stocked and ready to go. 

At this rate he would not only survive the zombie apocalypse, he would fucking own it. 

Throwing on a pair of aviators, he grabbed his phone and slipped out of his apartment. On his way to the venue, he stopped to grab a green smoothie, checking his phone while he waited in line. The notification for an unread text message blinked up at him from the screen. He frowned; he didn’t recall receiving a text. 

Flipping through the screens, he finally landed on his inbox, rolling his eyes when he saw who it was from: Dr. DreamBoat. Thanks Darcy, Bucky thought. He scrolled through the texts Darcy and Steve had exchanged over his phone the other night, chuckling at their antics. Steve was simply adorable. He thanked the barista for his smoothie and sent Steve a quick text on a whim. Bucky didn’t know if Steve was working today, but it might be fun to catch up. Plus a little phone flirting would make today much more enjoyable. He tucked his phone and set off for the fairly lengthy drive to Long Island. Traffic was a bitch, but it was nothing that a little trashy pop couldn’t help fix. 

Jane and Thor’s wedding was a tricky affair to plan. Though the couple was clearly in love, they came from entire different worlds, practically parallel dimensions. The wedding planning process had been about trying to strike a balance where everyone felt comfortable enough to celebrate. 

Luckily, I’m the best in the business, Bucky thought to himself. He pulled up to the elegant stone castle that they had selected for the venue. After parking, he got out of his car, breathing in the fragrant air from the flower gardens. It had been a compromise, at the end of the day. Thor’s family pushed hard for a traditional Norwegian wedding ceremony to befit the family’s social position, but Jane’s career and connections were entirely centered in New York. This castle was built very much in the nordic tradition, but it was close enough to the city for Jane’s guests. It was the first of many compromises that made this wedding work. 

Bucky pulled off his sunglasses and walked toward the door, turning slightly when Darcy’s rusty pick up truck rattled into the parking lot. She hopped out of the truck, dressed in sweats and slinging her hair up into a bun on top of her head. 

“Hey Buck.” She said, walking up to him.

“Hey Darcy. You ready for today?” He asked. Darcy rolled her eyes, smirking. 

“Well since I’m playing double duty today, it’s sure to be double the fun, right? I’m pretty sure that’s how that works.” She said dryly. It was in no way a happy coincidence that Darcy’s best friend from college happened to be Jane Foster and that Jane Foster decided to hire Hydrangea Weddings. Darcy was both maid of honor and wedding planner assistant in the same day. Bucky did not envy her. 

“Nope, it’s gonna suck.” He smirked. “Big time.” She rolled her eyes and they started walking through the ornate hallways towards the bridal party quarters.

“Well it’ll be a huge help on my end. You can keep an eye on the bridal party while I deal with the vendors and eventually, hopefully, the Carters.” He responded. 

“Right! Today is a big day for both of us.” Darcy said, nodding. “Is the fiance finally going to make his grand entrance or is it just the lady of the hour?” She asked. 

“It’s Sharon and her Grand-Aunt Margaret, whom she calls Peggy I guess.” He frowned. “From what I understand she is her closest relative and raised her, so she is basically the mother of the bride in this instance.” Darcy crinkled her nose. 

“I do not envy you the task of M.O.B. wooing. That is always the worst part of the job.” She rolled her eyes. 

“Being a respectable, handsome veteran wins me points with old ladies usually. Something to appeal to everyone, I guess.” He winked. 

“You are an ass.” Darcy responded, pushing through the door into the bridal suite where she was immediately accosted by five squealing women. 

“Remarkable.” Bucky muttered to himself, watching as Jane scrambled across the room to hug Darcy, hair half curled. “She has a nobel prize in physics.” Darcy turned her steely gaze around.

“Today is a happy day Barnes. Do not make me go on a feminist rant this early. God knows it’ll be bad enough when Thor’s hyper-conservative family lays into me.” She growled, making the I’m-watching-you hand signal. Bucky raised his hands up in surrender. 

“Before I stick my foot in my mouth any more, I’m going to head out and check on the groomsmen and get the ball rolling.” He backed up to the door. “Jane, you look ravishing. Everyone stay happy and I’ll see you soon.”

He slipped out the door but not before hearing Jane mutter, “I look like a fucking cake topper.” Walking down the hallway, Bucky chuckled to himself. He really did like Jane. 

Thor and the groomsmen were engaged in boisterous conversation, their laughter filling the halls. Bucky checked in briefly, just to make his presence known and continued on his way. He needed to make sure that all of the vendors were spot on today since there would be little supervision and a huge amount of pressure. He needed to make sure absolutely everything was in order before the Carters arrived. More than ever before, today needed to be perfect.  
______________________________

Loki was giving his best man speech for Thor. He spoke of their childhoods growing up in the lap of luxury and he spoke of Thor’s wild antics in his younger years. He spoke kindly of Jane, touting her virtues. 

He picked up his glass of champagne.

“Now for the final toast I would like to use a Norse proverb about the true nature of friendship and love.” Bucky spoke clearly but quietly into his earpiece microphone. 

In the grand ballroom below, where the wedding guests were seated, Loki spoke “Now for the final toast I would like to use a Norse proverb about the true nature of friendship and love.” 

“Give each other good clothes as friends for all to see.” Bucky began.

“Give each other good clothes as friends for all to see.” Loki repeated.

“To give and take is a guarantee of lasting love.” Bucky said.

“To give and take is a guarantee of lasting love.” 

“Raise your glass…” Bucky trailed off 

“Jane, you look beautiful and Thor you are one lucky bastard. Love each other well. Cheers!” Bucky nodded his head with satisfaction as the guests toasted the happy newlyweds. He yanked the headset out of his ear, replacing it carefully in his jacket pocket. 

He turned around and stopped dead in his tracks. A stunning blonde woman stood on the other side of the small balcony Bucky had found. She wore a simple, violet dress that Bucky was sure had an immense price tag. He had recognized her, after all, the moment she walked in. 

“Did you just feed the best man his speech?” She whispered, laughter in his eyes.

“Do you think Loki, the wild child of European royalty, took the time to write a personal speech for his brother’s wedding?” Bucky asked, raising his eyebrows.

“That… is a fair point.” She concluded. “I presume you are James Barnes?” She asked, holding out her hand. 

“And I presume you are Sharon Carter.” He said, shaking her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He continued, gesturing for her to walk down the staircase and into the chaos below. 

“You as well.” She responded, descending the stairs. “I have to say, my Aunt and I are very impressed Mr. Barnes.” She said once they had both reached ground floor.

“Thank you very much, and please, call me James.” He smiled, easily. “This wedding was challenging but I must admit I enjoyed planning it immensely.” He smirked. “Part of the joy of my job is creating something that really reflects the needs and desires of the bride, the groom and the guests.” Sharon nodded along. 

“I can see that everywhere here. From the overarching themes right down to the little details.” She smiled kindly. “You really know your trade.” 

“Something we have in common.” Bucky said, winking. Sharon laughed. They walked along the edge of the party as the beer and the food began to flow freely. Music and laughter echoed in the open space.

“If you have a few minutes I’d love to discuss next steps with you and my aunt.” Sharon asked, heading towards the entryway, which would be largely deserted by this point.

“That would be great!” Bucky agreed quickly, eager to seal the deal. As they approached the front hall, He caught site of an elderly woman in an elegant forest green dress. Her hair was gray and fine, but it was styled perfectly, not a wisp out of place. Bucky had the nagging feeling that he’d seen her somewhere before. However, he couldn’t place her for the life of him. 

 

“Sergeant Barnes.” She said, holding out her hand. Bucky gave her a firm handshake. 

“Peggy!” Sharon hissed. “He’s not on duty.” She said.

“It’s alright.” Bucky smiled quickly, looking back and forth between the two. “I do usually go by James, but Sargent is fine too.”

“I do apologize, James. My career started as a field doctor in an army hospital and I later worked extensively with veterans before moving on in my permanent career. Old habits die hard, I’m afraid.” She winked. 

“Margaret Carter, I presume. It is a pleasure to meet you Ms.Carter.” He replied. 

“Call me Peggy. Not even my mother called me Margaret.” She smiled and it lit up her withered face. “Now according to my Sharon you are simply the best wedding planner in all of New York City.” She continued. “I will admit I am impressed by today; it’s been lovely.” She said, her British accent was smooth and even, lending a richness to her compliments. 

“Thank you, Peggy. I don’t know about the best in the city, but I do try my best. I am honored you are interested in working with me.” He smiled; he was so close to closing this deal, he could feel it.

“Not so fast.” Peggy held up a hand “Now you have met Sharon and I, and I assume you have done your research, so I would like to know your initial proposal.” Peggy crossed her arms in front of her. There was no way this was going to be as simple as showing up to the party, James thought. Sharon had turned a deep shade of red, but she was not objecting to her Great-Aunt’s question, so Bucky set about answering it. 

“We will definitely keep it relatively local,” Bucky started, pacing slowly around the foyer. “But maybe move more upstate, into the Hudson Valley.” Most of the family lived in the US at this point, but the city was passe. There was nothing new there. Now came the tricky part. He knew that the wedding needed to appeal to the height of society, however Sharon was raised on family farmland when she was not attending elite boarding schools. She was an avid lacrosse player in high school and, along with her double major in Business and International Politics, took a minor in sustainable agriculture. Bucky peaked down at her ring, it was simple, refined but definitely the smallest diamond he’d ever seen on the hand of a young socialite. He would bet the entire commission from the Stark wedding that it was a family heirloom, which spoke to the character of the groom. Her great-aunt was deeply practical but still rooted in tradition. 

“The wedding will be clean, simple and refined.” Bucky began, pausing in his pacing. “In a large single room church with floor and balcony seating and a large stain glass window behind the dias. The ceremony will be in the late afternoon when the sun filters in through the glass.” Both Peggy and Sharon’s eyes glazed over as they began to imagine the scene. 

“The flowers will be white roses and gardenias, accented with baby’s breath, greens and just a hint of blue hydrangea and lavender. The church will smell subtly of pine wood and fresh cut flowers, with the lavender leaving hints in the air. The decorations will be minimal and all in white, to catch the glow from the windows and preserve the delicacy of the floral arrangements. The music will be played by a small strings section, seated off to the side but visible. For reception… perhaps that evening in the old tree grove near the church. We can build in a stable floor so that no one loses their footing and light the entire venue with candles among the tree branches and in the gardens.” Bucky looked at their faces and he knew, it was time to go in for the kill. 

“It will be the modern fairy tale, refreshing, elegant and pristine.” He finished. Peggy and Sharon glanced at each other and then Sharon turned to Bucky.

“Where do I sign?” She said, grinning. Bucky felt his face spread into a matching smile.

_______________________________ 

Though the Carters left shortly after their conversation, the wedding celebrations lasted until late Sunday evening, effectively erasing his entire weekend. Luckily, this meant that he did not have to address the Natasha situation. They had been texting off and on casually, about work or food recommendations. Mostly Becca and Natasha were entertaining themselves which was both a relief and a nuisance for Bucky. 

The ceremony had marked the beginning of the festivities and there were farewell parties and hangover breakfasts and spa breaks to coordinate. The work was good; busy was good. It kept him from thinking too hard about things like Steve’s non-response via text or the unsigned contract with the Carters. Everything was going so well right now, he’d hate to see it fall apart in his absence. 

By the time everything was finished, Jane and Thor were off for a European tour, and Darcy was pumped up with caffeine and on her way home, Bucky was just about ready to collapse. He heaved himself into his vehicle and turned on the ignition. It felt like the first bit of quiet he’d found in three days. He sighed, checking his phone again. A new message caught his eye. 

From: Dr. DreamBoat  
Sorry I missed your text!! I was on call at the ER for like 40 hours straight. Howas your weekend?

 

Bucky smiled to himself, tapping out a reply commiserating about weekends consumed by work. His heart felt lighter knowing that Steve wasn’t avoiding him. Surely ER doctors couldn’t just check their phones whenever they liked. With a little more life in his limbs (well three of them at least) Bucky set off on his way home. Luckily, the traffic looked to be unexpectedly light for a Sunday night trip into the city. 

___________________________________________

The meeting to finalize the contract with the Carters was scheduled for Wednesday. As per his agreement with Pierce, Bucky took Monday off, taking care of errands, paying some bills and put in some good time at the gym. Any day where he did not have to change out of sweatpants was a good day for him. When Tuesday finally rolled around, he felt rejuvenated enough to head into the office and take care of the paperwork backlog. Darcy called in sick and he gave her the benefit of the doubt. Afterall, a little extra paperwork was nothing, as long as he kept chugging caffeine. 

In many ways it was the most restful 48 hours Bucky had in a long time. And that was saying something.

Wednesday arrived bright and beautiful. Bucky carefully arranged the items spread across his desk. Honestly, he rarely used his office. He prefered leg work, meeting clients in the outside world, and email. If it can be done in an office, it can almost always be done online. However, this was a special occasion. He wanted to establish the most professional, high end experience possible. As much as Bucky disliked Pierce’s attitudes and business strategy, he did respect the office space at Hydrangea Weddings. It was a wedding magazine wet dream and brides found themselves drooling before they’d even seen the contract. 

Once he was sure that every line and corner of his desk items were carefully aligned, Bucky stepped back to view his office. It was clean and bright but there was something cold about the space. He found himself thinking about how warm and inviting Steve’s office had been, full of pictures and personal touches. There was a knock at the door.

Darcy pushed through into the space, carrying a vase.

“Oh great.” Bucky said, helping her set down the bouquet on the large shelf just below the window. It was behind his desk, so they would see the flowers without them interrupting the flow of conversation. Darcy brushed some grains of pollen off the shoulder of her dress. 

“I know you usually prefer something more subtle, but this was all we had today.” Darcy commented, gesturing toward the vase of sunflowers. In the breakroom, Hydrangea Weddings kept several vases of fresh flowers and instructed the employees to use them as they saw fit. Bucky did usually tend towards the smaller, simpler displays. He shrugged.

“I actually think it will work well for today. The feel friendly.” He grinned. “Alright. Let’s go stand in the lobby for thirty minutes and stare anxiously at the lobby check in log and then the elevator numbers.” He said, leading Darcy out of his office. 

“Oh my favorite.” She echoed.

Bucky’s instincts were right on the money; the Carters arrived nearly 15 minutes early for the appointment. However, like the high-end professionals they were, Bucky and Darcy were already waiting in the receiving area, ready to greet them.

“James!” Sharon exclaimed coming towards him. She skipped the offered handshake and gave him a light hug. In all her interviews she appeared in well tailored, black suits with tall talon-like heels, but she was dressed casually today, in riding boots and a tunic beneath a leather jacket. Peggy was still dressed sharply, but in warm colors. She also offered a more subdued greeting. 

“Sharon, Peggy. I am so glad you made it in today.” He smiled his 100-watt, could sell water to a fish, smile. “I would like you to meet my assistant wedding planner, Darcy Lewis.” He motioned her forward. 

“A pleasure to meet you.” She said using her most professional voice. Darcy was brash, loud and opinionated. That was why Bucky was her friend. But she could also turn on the charm and pull a smile out of just about anyone, from a crotchety granny to a nap-deprived three year old. That was why Bucky hired her. 

Once they had exchanged pleasantries, Bucky led the group back to his office. He sat behind his desk, with the Carters across from him and Darcy in a chair off to his left. She would take notes and create priority lists off of this meeting later. 

They talked shop for a few minutes, re-visiting key details of the contract, but it quickly became clear that the Carters were ready to sign. And Bucky was ready to let them. A quick 30 minutes later, the papers has signatures and both parties were shaking hands, grinning. 

“I simply can’t wait to get started.” Sharon crowed. 

“Nor can I!” Bucky agreed. “Just send me all of the mood boards, pinterest, instagram, magazine clippings, whatever it is you have and we will draw up some some initial plans and schedule some appointments just as soon as we can.” He continued, leading them back to the front lobby. They all stopped before the elevators. 

“I do have one question though, Sharon.” Bucky said. “When do I get to meet this lucky groom of yours?” He asked raising an eyebrow. Darcy and Peggy were having an animated discussion off to the side. Bucky wasn’t sure he wanted to know what crazy topic those two had contrived. 

“Oh, Grant?” She asked. “I had totally forgot that you’ve never been introduced. He couldn’t come to the wedding last weekend because he was booked solid for two days straight at work; life of a doctor, I guess.” She rolled her eyes. 

“Ah, that explains it.” Bucky said.

“Let me see…” Sharon trailed off, checking something on her phone. “Well this is embarrassing, but if you have some time tomorrow night, we had a swing dance class over at Dazzler’s Dance Studio? It’s just a silly hobby we took up so we’d have some more time together.” She explained. 

“That is a wonderful place. I send couples there to learn all the time. In fact, I need to set up a class for one of my clients pretty soon.” He said.

“Well if you want to swing by around 7pm, we will be heading into a 7:30 class. You could meet the mysterious fiance and take care of your appointment then.” She suggested. 

“Sounds like a perfect opportunity. See you tomorrow night at 7!” He grinned, calling for the elevator down. “Thank you so much for stopping by today.” He said goodbye to Peggy and waved as the doors slid shut. 

Back in the office he and Darcy collapsed onto chairs, exhausted but giggly. 

“Good work today, Buck.” She smiled. 

“Right back at ya.” He said, breaking into a full on grin.  
______________________________________________

Dazzler’s Dance Studio was run by a former pop star turned professional latin ballroom dancer, Alison Blaire. When Bucky first heard of it, he was convinced it had to be a hoax, but it proved to be legitimate. And despite it’s unfortunate name, he found himself recommending it to clients nearly every time. 

The building that housed the studio was modern and luxurious, giving clients the quiet elegance they were looking for in every element of their wedding planning. 

However most people who were preparing for that first dance as spouse and spouse chose to attend the Waltzing for Beginners course or the wedding specific lessons offered by the instructors. The swing dance classes were more often offered for fun or hobby dancers. Knowing the private school education Sharon had received, there was simply no way she had avoided formal dance lessons. It was still well before the class was scheduled to begin at 7:30 but already students in full skirts and slick, leather shoes were gathering around. Apparently some members of the group dressed for the occasion but others came in work clothes or casual attire. 

Bucky finished making the group class arrangements for several couples currently under the care of Hydrangea Weddings and turned toward the growing crowd. He started to look around, searching for Sharon. He caught sight of her standing in a corner and waved. She waved back and leaned down to speak to someone bent over a bench beside her. Bucky looked down, paying attention to weaving through the people near him smoothly. 

“James!” Sharon exclaimed hugging him quickly. “I’m glad you made it!” 

“Hello Sharon.” He responded. She moved to the right slightly, so that Bucky could see her fiance, just in time for him to straighten up from the bench. 

Bucky’s stomach bottomed out and his blood ran cold. As a wedding planner he was prepared for all sorts of eventualities. He prided himself on always having a quick solution for any problem. As a soldier he was an unshakable sniper. No matter what was happening around him he kept it together and finished the job. But this, nothing in Bucky’s life had prepared him for this. 

Staring back at him with an equal amount of shock was the beautiful, petite doctor that Bucky had been flirty-texting and day dreaming about for a week and a half. 

Steven Fucking Rogers. Emotions flashed through Bucky faster than he could even process them, white-hot rage shifted to lonely sadness and then again to the familiar tinge of self-hatred. 

“James Barnes, wedding planner extraordinaire, please meet my fiance, Steven Rogers.” Sharon introduced them, grinning from ear to ear. 

“Steven? I thought you said his name was Grant.” Bucky said, a thick coat of charm coating the anger in his voice. 

“Oh, right. No, we went to highschool together actually and even though we had a class of 50 students, there were at least six different Stevens. We couldn’t keep them straight, so we just called them all by their middle names. Steven Grant Rogers.” She smiled at her fiance, whose eyes were still the size of saucers and fixed on Bucky. “I guess I never lost the habit, though everyone else calls him Steve.” She smiled, chuckling. The awkward atmosphere finally seemed to register and she frowned. “Is something wrong?” She asked.

“Not at all! It’s a pleasure to finally meet the illusive fiance, Steve.” Bucky growled out, extending his hand for a handshake. Steve shook his hand without much force.

“James Barnes. Although most of my friends call me Bucky.” He turned his charming smile on Sharon. “And I feel like we are friends already.” Sharon smiled, placated by Bucky’s demeanor. 

Suddenly a chipper ringtone sounded and Sharon jumped. She pulled out her phone, glancing at the caller ID. 

“Shit.” She muttered. “It’s the Tokyo office. We have a giant merger going through as we speak. I am going to have to take this call. I’ll be right back, just, chat amongst yourselves.” She waved her hands and quickly answered her phone, moving into the outer lobby. 

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Steve growled, turning towards Bucky. 

“What am I doing here, really?” Bucky responded, the anger returning. “I am a fucking wedding planner, planning Sharon Carter’s wedding. That’s what the fuck I’m doing here.” Steve looked distraught for a second, running a hand down his face. 

“I swear to god this is not who I am. I don’t do shit like this.” Steve began. The rage circulating in Bucky’s stomach was quieted some when he noticed that Steve was on the verge of tears.

Bucky was about to respond, but the instructor called for the class members to begin the warm up. Steve and Bucky moved off towards the side of the room. 

Unfortunately, the instructor noticed, and unfortunately she knew both of them personally since it was the studio owner. 

“James and Steve!” She called. “It may be unconventional, but I’m sure you can make do with each other until Sharon gets back!” She called, gesturing to the floor. Reluctantly, they took the floor together, finding the swing step easily. 

“I don’t understand then. Why did you go the movies with us?” Bucky asked, too focused on the dance to sound angry. 

“I like Swing Time. And Darcy wasn’t taking no for an answer.” He responded, taking a quick turn. 

“That is fair enough.” Bucky said, smiling a little in spite of the horrid situation. “But I don’t get it. The flirting, the texting...” Bucky said. 

“I know.” Said Steve, “I really do know. I feel awful about everything.” His face crumpled. “I love Sharon, I do, but we hardly see each other and I guess I got lost in the moment. It’s not an excuse.” He added hurriedly. “But it’s the best I can do.” 

They executed a difficult set of steps, even managing to slip in a simple lift. 

“I can’t say that I understand.” Bucky responded. “But there’s nothing to be done now.” The music began to fade out. “I just don’t understand why you kissed me.” He insisted. The music stopped and he looked around. The room was clapping for them. He hadn’t noticed the other dancers stopping midway to watching him and Steve. 

“That is how you swing dance. You two really understand the passion and spirit it takes.” Alison commented. “That was just great guys! James you simply must agree to be my demonstration dummy again sometime.” She smiled, patting them both on the back. “Okay a quick break, then we get into the meat of it!” She announced. The room broke apart towards the edges. 

Steve turned to speak to Bucky, but then Sharon hurried back into the room.

“What did I miss?” She asked. Without waiting for an answer she barreled on. “I am so sorry to do this right now Steve, but the merger is going south and I really have to leave for Tokyo tonight. I’ll be gone for at minimum 3 days, but probably closer to a week?” She said, turning towards Bucky. “James, you can reach me by phone or email. Besides, I’m sure you can manage with Steve and Peggy for a while.” She kissed him on the cheek. 

“Alright, I’m going to go make my excuses to Alison and then we really have to get on the road Steve. I know it’s disappointing and we were apart this weekend, but busy people, busy couple right?” Sharon kept a running commentary as she picked up her purse. By the time she was done speaking, Bucky had already slipped out the door. 

As he walked back to his apartment in the chilly night air, he realized the crushing anger was gone. Instead, it was replaced by a heavy, despondent loneliness.


	5. What are friends for, after all

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey!!!! So this fic is basically done and it's gonna be posted realllllly quickly from here on out! Take your time reading it and I hope you enjoy!
> 
>  
> 
> Time for some good old fashion friend rants and helping hands. We make new friends, complain to old friends and cook Russian food.

While Bucky’s office was wide and spacious, Darcy’s office might have been the smallest room in the entire building. There was a tiny window near the top of the wall which let in little to no day light. Still, she always maintained that she liked it that way. Go figure. As a junior wedding planner at the firm, Darcy had a resume more impressive than most of the upper-level staff and more positive reviews from clients. She would never be promoted because she favored alternative weddings for off-beat couples, preferably with weird themes. It was hardly the clean-cut image Pierce worked so hard to secure for Hydrangea Weddings. Bucky kept her on the roster as his assistant, and in busy times she did act as one, but she also took on her own projects under Bucky’s guidance. The system worked well for them. 

That being said, most of the staff was slightly weirded out to see Bucky frantically knocking on the door to the ex-coat closet at 8:00 am on a Friday. Darcy swung the door open, letting Bucky into her space. She sat behind her desk while he collapsed into the armchair across from it. 

“Where the fuck were you last night? I called like 64 times.” Bucky whined, running his hands through his hair, which looked unkempt.

“Oh god.” She began, taking a deep breath, “The Cage-Jones wedding hit a major snag. I guess the bridal tailor she took the gown to had no experience working with fine leather and bondage paraphernalia, even just a few ring and corseting details, and completely fucked it up.” She rolled her eyes. “Luckily I got it sorted out and took the dress over to the only tailor I trust to deal in both bridal and bondage. It all worked out.” She said. 

“Well I’m glad your problems were resolved. Mine on the other hand are just getting started.” Bucky said, eyes tearing up.

“Bucky what the fuck is wrong?” She placed her coffee down on her desk.

“I have to quit the Carter wedding.” He said. “ I am going to have to transfer the account to you or someone else I trust.”

“What?” Darcy shouted, standing up from her chair. “No! No, no, no, no, no, no. Just, no.” She said, coming around to sit on the arm of the chair Bucky was slouched down in. 

“Yes.” He said simply.

“But why? What reason could you possibly have? Are you terminally ill? Did you murder someone? Are you wanted in a country with whom we do not have a non-extradition treaty?” She asked. Bucky punched her in the arm lightly. 

“Why is your first guess for my problems always high-level felonies?” He said. “You know what, never mind. I don’t want to know.” He picked up the pillow from beside him and buried in his face in it.

“Bucky, I am serious, felony or not, tell me why you are quitting the crown jewel of your career?” She insisted, tugging at the pillow.

“I broke the cardinal rule.” He muttered, so softly she almost didn’t hear him.

“Excuse me?” She said, getting up from the chair. “The cardinal rule?” She asked and he nodded petulantly. “Like the rule where you can’t fall in love with the bride or the groom. Like that cardinal rule?” Once again Bucky pulled his head from the pillow and nodded. 

“That’s the one.” He said.

“No way.” Darcy said, chuckling. “Sharon?” She asked, “You set your heart on a Carter?” She raised an eyebrow. “I mean, points for taste level, but seriously?” 

“No! God no.” Bucky said. 

“You met the fiance like 12 hours ago Bucky. It is just not possible that you are going to throw your career away over some sniveling rich kid who you’ve known for half a second.” She said forcefully. “Not the Bucky I know.” 

“Well I’m here, I’m me and it’s happening.” He groaned, sticking his head back into the decorative throw pillow. Darcy was going to kill him if he got snot on the upholstery. 

“Come on Bucky, just suck it up for a few months. I don’t care if this fiance is a fucking god-on-earth, Adonis, George Clooney, Ryan Gosling hybrid he is just not worth giving up the life you’ve finally built for yourself. Besides, haven’t you seen hitting it off big time with a lovely little pediatrician? Don’t think I didn’t see your happy glow face after your movie date.” She teased. 

“Thefianceisthedoctor.” Bucky said into the pillow, rushing his words together. 

“What was that?” Darcy asked. “Because it sounded like you said the doctor was the fiance.” She deadpanned. 

“‘S what I said.” Bucky finished lamely. “The doctor is the fiance, the fiance is the doctor. Steve Rogers is marrying Sharon Carter and I have to quit this wedding.” He said, finally letting the pillow fall to the floor.

“Holy shit.” Darcy said, leaning against her desk. It was covered in small items, including a frame with cross-stitched profanities. It was a personal favorite. 

“Yeah.” He agreed. “Well I guess that’s it then. Goodbye Steve, goodbye promotion.” He waved his hand in the air, shifting to get out of the chair. 

“I stand by what I said though.” Darcy crossed her arms. Bucky looked at her and raised his eyebrow. “You’re career outweighs some little hotshot playboy any day of the week. He could be the next damn Mother Theresa and it still wouldn’t overshadow this job.” 

Bucky stood up, straightening his jacket. “You really think so?” He asked.

“100 fucking percent sure.” She answered. He turned to the mirror on her wall and fixed his hair. 

“You’re right. I have worked too damn hard for too damn long trying to get myself on my feet and find some stability in my life and I am not going to give it up over some wishy-washy, weak willed dickwad.” He moved back to her desk. “Because, first of all, I deserve this promotion.” He growled.

“Yes.” Darcy said with conviction, leaning toward him. 

“Second of all, because I am not interested in relationships right now. Definitely not looking.” He said, straightening the arrangement of decorative tree branches Darcy kept on her desk.

“Who needs ‘em.” She said.

“And finally because I am a,” Bucky picked up the branches slightly and dropped them back into their vase “Goddamn,” He did it again. “Professional.” He finished, giving the branches another forceful jolt.

“You got that right.” Darcy said, putting a hand on his arm. “But maybe leave my office decorations alone.” Bucky backed off, turning towards the door.

“You are right Darcy. This is not a fairy-tale; this isn’t some stupid 2001 RomCom starring Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Lopez, this is real life! This is my life! And I am getting that promotion.” He said, hand on doorknob. 

“If anyone can do this Bucky, it’s you.” Darcy called after him.

“Damn straight. Now let’s plan a wedding.” He smirked. 

____________________________________________

 

“I have become the embodiment of everything I hate.” Steve grumbled, head falling sideways onto Sam’s shoulder.

“That feels a little extreme.” He responded, rolling his eyes and shaking his shoulder a little bit to dislodge his friend. He scooted slightly further along the booth so that Steve couldn’t hide in his shoulder.

“How is it extreme? I have literally punched men twice my size in the face because they even joked about cheating on their wives, much less the guys I’ve punched for actually cheating on their wives.” Steve continued to whine. The waitress looked over at their table, trying to assess if they were ready to order. She decided they needed a few more minutes and backed off 

“Steve you’re scaring the staff.” Banner said from behind his menu. Most people would be intimidated sitting at a table with the head of pediatrics and the head of nursing form a prominent hospital, but crappy, greasy-spoon diners had a wonderful equalizing effect on their customers. 

 

“I like this diner. It’s close to the bowling alley. Please don’t ruin this diner for me.” Sam groaned. “I invited you to join this bowling league and I can un-invite you.” He threatened. 

“You need me. Even if I am morally corrupt.” Steve muttered. “Besides it’s a league for medical professionals. I think I qualify.” He rolled his eyes. “Also stop distracting me, we are here to mourn the loss of my moral compass.” 

“Okay Steve, how about we order and then jump down that rabbit hole.” Banner suggested flagging down a waitress. They all gave her their orders and she shot Steve a concerned glance on her way back to the kitchen. 

“So what’s the damage?” Sam asked, once she was out of earshot.

“I kissed the wedding planner.” Steve said miserably, slumping into the booth.   
“Okay, can I ask why?” Banner raised an eyebrow, taking a sip of his iced tea. “The wedding planner feels like a pointed choice, if you know what I mean.” 

“No, no. I didn’t know he was the wedding planner at the time. We ended up going to see a movie after I treated him for minor injuries.” Steve explained.

“Oh my god, it was totally that hot guy I helped you carry to the emergency room!” Sam said, grinning. 

“Not the point, Sam.” Steve said in a warning voice. “Anyway his friend who picked him up invited me to see a movie in the park and I felt obligated to go, so I went.” Steve ran a hand through his hair. “Long story short, we got pretty flirty and ended up dancing a little to the music and just kissed. It was a heat of the moment kind of thing, it meant nothing.” Steve let out a distressed moan just as the waitress walked up with their orders. She gave him another concerned glance, but didn’t say a word.

“Well, that is less than ideal.” Bruce commented around bite of his veggie burger. “But I think you have to consider the intention.” Steve pushed some fries around on his plate. 

“There just wasn’t any intention. I wasn’t thinking at all and that is the root of the problem.” He said. 

“Well what are you thinking about doing then? You can’t just wallow in self-hatred forever.” Sam asked. 

“We’re going to have to call off the wedding and I’ll just have to break up with Sharon.” Steve said, face serious. Both Sam and Bruce began to choke on their food.

“That feels like a drastic solution, Steve.” Sam managed to get out between coughs. “I mean, you said it yourself. It didn’t mean anything, you didn’t even really think about it.” 

“Exactly. There is no reason to go completely overboard.” Bruce said, watching Steve’s face contort. “Well.. Unless you either don’t want to be with Sharon or you do want to be with this dude.” They waited for a response as Steve sunk lower into his booth.

“It’s not that I don’t want to be with Sharon…” Steve began. “It’s just that… sometimes I wonder.” Steve trailed off.

“What are you talking about Steve?” Sam said, putting down his sandwich. 

“Nothing really, it’s just that… everything with Sharon is great. It’s simple and easy but sometimes it feels like there’s barely anything there.” He explained. “We’re both so busy from work and really, I am fine with things the way they are. I love Sharon. She is one of the best and brightest parts of my life.” Steve took a sip from his drink.”I just got to thinking that Sharon and I can be in the same room and I barely notice her. I spent thirty seconds with this random guy and I could barely stay 6 inches from him the entire night.” Sam and Bruce stayed uncharacteristically quiet. “I’m just not quite sure what any of that means.” 

“You and Sharon are in love.” Bruce began, clearly thinking through his words. “Don’t conflate lust, or even loneliness with what you and Sharon share.” Steve thought this through briefly, but the idea that this was displaced loneliness didn’t sit well with him. He frowned.

“Besides,” Sam jumped in. “Do not undervalue stability. You and Sharon have a good thing.” Steve sighed. “The friendship and trust between you two will be what makes your marriage last. I know it’s why I’m still with Riley.” Sam smiled. “Just don’t over think this… go with your gut.” 

“You are one of the best guys I know Steve, you’ll make the right choice.” Bruce said. They all ate for a few minutes in silence, digesting the greasy food and thinking about life. Despite the encouraging words from his friends, Steve couldn’t shake the anxious feeling in the pit of his stomach. While it was true that he and Sharon made a great team, it did nothing to chase the feeling of dancing with Bucky out of his mind. 

Steve knew himself well enough to know that he would make the best choice possible, but right now, he could not imagine what that could be. 

_____________________________________________

 

Bucky was milling around his apartment organizing his laundry for the week when there were two sharp knocks on his door. He frowned briefly, checking his phone, and walked over to answer it. He peered through the peephole and saw familiar red hair on the other side. He swung the door open.

“Natasha.” He said. The redhead turned back to the door and smiled.

“James.” She responded. She was dressed in her clothes from her ballet rehearsals, holding a large bag of groceries and balancing a sports duffel on her other shoulder. 

“Please come in.” Bucky said, backing into his apartment. She entered and walked quickly to the kitchen, swinging the bags up onto the counter. “So what’s up?” He asked as she settled on a stool at the kitchen bar. 

“Nothing, I just thought we could have dinner together.” She said, picking at her fingernails. Bucky was slightly startled by her bluntness. 

“Natasha…” He began, reluctantly, “I thought we’d covered the idea of not dating last week.” He said, running a hand through his hair.

“Did I say this was a date?” She raised an eyebrow. “Look, James, I do want to be your friend but you cannot offer friendship and then avoid me for two weeks.” She said. Bucky was about to use a snappy retort, but he realized that she had a point.

“I guess that’s true. But coming over unannounced is a little off-beat, Nat.” She just rolled her eyes.

“I checked with your sister about what you usually do on friday nights and when she said, and I quote ‘Nothing. Ever.’. So I thought it would be a nice surprise.” She smiled. “Dinner with a friend.” Bucky felt familiar guilt settle into his stomach. His initial desire to kick Natasha out was replaced with a small spark of affection for the gesture. 

“Okay, that’s actually really nice of you.” He said, giving her a small smile.

“Besides Becca keeps me up-to-date. You’ve been in the hospital, worked all weekend and have barely had two minutes to relax. I thought some homemade Russian food might…” She paused, searching for the word, “lift your spirits.” She said, with a wave of her hands.

“Oh? And what is this mysterious Russian food you are going to make?” He asked, reaching for the bag of groceries. Before he could even process the action, Natasha had grabbed the wooden spoon from it’s holder and whacked the back of Bucky’s hand with it. He yelped a little bit in pain.

“Golubtsy.” She answered. “And do not think I don’t remember how much of a kitchen-menace you were as a kid James. There is no way you are getting near my food before it is finished.” She smirked.

“It’s not like the Princess of the Romanovs cooked either.” He muttered under his breath, sitting on another stool.

“I’ll have you know I spent at least one day a week with our chef learning how to make traditional russian dishes. It was also a very good way to escape my parents.” She winked and began to unload her bag of fresh food onto the countertop.”Besides once I finally broke free of my parents house, cooking was one of the few parts of my Russian home that I took with me.” She smiled to herself and set to cutting the vegetables. 

By the time the food was done, Bucky was practically drooling. The kitchen smelled delicious and everything looked incredible. Stuffed cabbage rolls were not the prettiest of foods, but there was something undeniably homey about them. Sure they weren’t the high society food he ate at formal functions with his grandparents, but it was something the cooks would often make when it was just him and Becca in the house. It was simple food, but it was warm and comforting. 

Natasha and Bucky had managed to keep up a running conversation and as she cooked, the topics coming easily between them. Most of it was fairly mundane, information about their jobs and hobbies. Bucky traded stories of the bride-zillas he had worked with for stories from Natasha about Prima ballerinas that could not be believed. At one point he was laughing so hard he had trouble staying upright. 

He moved to set the small table near the windows for dinner, still chuckling to himself. 

“You were right about one thing, Natasha.” He said. 

“Oh?” She raised an eyebrow, putting the finishing touches on the dish.

“Our lives are more similar than they first seemed.” He smiled, placing water glasses down. “There we go, ready to eat.” 

“It is amazing what you learn if you actually give someone a chance.” She said, bringing the finished dinner plates to the table. Bucky rolled his eyes. 

“Yeah, yeah, book and covers and judging.” He said. Natasha laughed, gracefully sliding down into her chair. Bucky joined her, taking in the delicious dinner set before him. “This looks amazing Natasha.” 

“Thank you very much.” She said, taking a bite. “They will never be as good as the ones from home, but it’s better than anything you can get around here.” Bucky bit into his food. He was about to make indecent noises, but then remembered his company. 

“This is fucking delicious.” He took another bite. “You are a god among women.” He said. She laughed and continued to eat, both settling in and enjoying their food. 

“No, but really, thank you for doing this Natasha.” Bucky started a few minutes later. “I often forget how to let other people into my life.” 

“That’s understandable.” She smiled. “And I know how that feels. I’m glad you let me do this.” She said, taking a sip of her water. “But you definitely owe me a nice dinner in exchange for this. It was a lot of work!” She said smirking. 

“I didn’t agree to jack-shit.” Bucky said, mock-offended. “Alright, alright, I can’t cook but next time I’ll take you somewhere nice.” He said, meeting Natasha’s smile with his own. “We are friends after all.”


	6. Wanna take a ride?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Horses and motorbikes and hand to hand combat. 
> 
> All in all a normal day in the life of a wedding planner. 
> 
> More than half way!!!!!!!!!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Steve has an asthma attack, and a horse goes a little crazy... 
> 
> Terrible singing and Bucky's internal pain.

After Natasha left for the evening, Bucky glanced down at his phone. A new message from Sharon blinked up at him. 

From: Sharon Carter  
Good news! Managed to stabilize situation here, will be back stateside by midweek. Up for venue shopping this weekend? Will have to travel to England soon, so time is short.

Bucky read over the text quickly, tapping out a response. He was eager to get started on finalizing details for the wedding and getting the happy couple out of his hair as soon as possible. He clicked over to his calendar and blocked out the weekend for work related travel. He was going to miss gaming club again this weekend, but it couldn’t be helped. Besides, he really wasn’t quite ready to talk with his sister about the whole I-brought-you-a-bride situation. Normally, he would be subjected to that tomorrow morning except Becca had an ultrasound. Bucky couldn’t wait to see the first pictures of his little niece or nephew and it helped him escaped the ongoing discussions about getting engaged to Natasha; it was a win-win. They arrange a time to meet up mid-week and Bucky set about getting ready for bed. Even as he went through his nightly routine, he started creating a list of possible wedding venues based on the inspiration boards Sharon had sent over a few days ago. Mentally he scheduled out his weekend leaving plenty of time to work. 

Next weekend was going to be fun.

________________________________________

 

Like clockwork Sharon walked into Bucky’s office at 9:30 on the dot Wednesday morning. Unlike the last time they saw each other she was not dressed in casual wear, but instead in a badass pants suit. 

“I really am sorry for running out on you like that at the dance class.” She said, settling into her seat. “Though I heard from a very trustworthy source that your swing dancing is nothing to be scoffed at.” She raised an eyebrow. “Where did you pick up a skill like that?” 

Bucky smiled indulgently. “To be honest, my grandparents lived in an old-fashion world in Russia and my sister and I were put through our paces. She was very young when we arrived but I was about 10 when we moved and a rebellious little shit. They signed me up for classic ballroom classes, but instead I snuck across the hall to the swing dancing class. I enjoyed it enough to seek it out in America.” He explained. “Plus it’s always a hit with the ladies.” He winked. 

“I’m sure it’d be a hit with anyone.” She said. “Well, thank you anyway. I’m sure it is not in your job description, but I appreciate it all the same.” 

Bucky smiled graciously. “Is there anything I can get you before we get started?” Bucky asked, walking over to an inset silver cabinet and swinging the inconspicuous door open. 

“Oh, come coffee would be absolutely fantastic.” Sharon responded. Bucky pressed a small packet into the Keurig and started the boiling process. Waiting for the drink to prepare itself, Bucky shuffled the relevant files around on his desk, wasting time. Sharon flicked through her phone, typing quick responses. The machine gave it’s final sputters and quieted down. 

“Cream or sugar?” Bucky asked, walking over to the cabinet to retrieve the steaming coffee. 

“Oh no, black is fine, thanks.” She said, placing her phone back in her purse and accepting the mug. “Perfect.” She grinned. Bucky took his seat again and began to spread pages out across the table. 

“So let’s get down to business.” He began, placing several different portfolios in front of Sharon. “I know that earlier we discussed a church wedding, but I think for your wish-list there are other spaces better suited.” He opened several of the portfolios. “Is the lack of religious consideration an issue for you or family members?” He asked, looking up.

“Not really.” Sharon said, shaking her head. “As long as it feels elegant and communicates the gravity of the ceremony, it should be fine.” Bucky nodded, closing one of the folders and opening another. 

“I think we can do that. The real issue is that the major themes you are looking for, clean, fresh and modern with a hint of romance do not lend themselves well to the massive churches. With your guest lists requirements, we are going to need something with more flexible space than small churches, but without losing their unique charm.” He pushed two of the files towards the front of the desk. 

“That sounds fantastic.” Sharon said, leaning forward to see the files he had prepared. 

“Actually there are relatively few places that I am still considering.” Bucky explained. “Not that there aren’t many different locations capable of managing your ceremony, but you really put thought and effort into your mood boards and I have a few concrete ideas.” He said. 

“Perfect. There is no reason to waste time and I trust your judgement. As I said, the home office for our corporation is in London and we have a major internal review meeting coming up. We’re still working out some slightly scheduling issues, so I will know soon when I need to be there.” She explained. 

“Of course, and if you don’t like any in this first round of options, we can regroup and discuss other options. We still have plenty of time.” He explained. “Anyway, without further ado, these are the two locations I think we should consider visiting this weekend.” He piled the extra files together and pushed two folders onto the center of the desk. “Here we are. Let’s discuss this one first.” He said, gesturing to the folder on the right, which Sharon picked up. 

“Red Maple Vineyard?” She read from the file. 

“Yes. It is an organic farm and vineyard on the way to upstate. West Park to be specific; quite close to the Home of FDR.” He began, twisting his computer monitor so that both he and Sharon could view it. He brought up the website for the vineyard in question.

“What are the venues like?” She asked, looking at both the monitor and the informational pamphlets in turn. 

“The venues are fairly normal for a high-end vineyard, the main events space is a tent, though they use sapling trees to offset the appearance of the poles. The real advantage to this location are the built in spa amenities and the recreational activities.” He clicked through a couple pages with brief overviews of the available items. “Don’t get me wrong, it is a beautiful location. The ceremony will have beautiful lighting and a soft romantic feel; it maintains that classic into modern transition we were aiming to communicate.” He brought up images of classic wedding views, beautiful catering, simple decor and beaming brides. Sharon nodded her head.

“I admit it is different than what I expected, but different isn’t a bad thing.” She tilted her head to the side. “It’s less formal than I envisioned, I guess. But it’s quickly growing on me.” 

“Well, it seems like it is worth taking a look at then. Trust me, I really think you’ll love it.” He said, taking out his appointment book. “It’s roughly two hours up to the vineyard, so I would suggest we get going between 8 and 9 in the morning. That way we can eat brunch at the location and sample some of the catering while also saving the afternoon for other activities. I have connections with the owners of the place, so we will have full access to their grounds and services.” He explained, writing notes to himself in his planner.

“Sounds perfect. Since we are heading up as a group, should we gather here and drive together?” Sharon asked. There was nothing Bucky wanted less than to be stuck in a car with Steve Rogers for two hours but he could hardly refuse without seeming rude. “Oh! Also, do you mind if my Aunt Peggy joins us as well?” 

“Of course Peggy is welcome to join us. Carpooling would be just fantastic.” Bucky gritted out. “I think we should head back to the city that night, since Sunday location is relatively close by.” He said, gesturing to the second file on his desk. “We can talk more about the particulars for that location on Saturday, since the logistics are much easier.” 

Sharon picked up the other file, opening the cover. “The Brooklyn Botanic Gardens?” She asked, her voice high. “Steve grew up in Brooklyn. He would love this.” She said quietly. 

“I thought as much.” Bucky said; he didn’t feel like he needed to mention his own Brooklyn upbringing but that didn’t stop a warm feeling from spreading through his chest. “The grounds and facilities are also remarkable, but clearly I don’t need to sell this place too hard.” He chuckled as Sharon enthusiastically flipped through the paperwork. “We can work out those plans at the vineyard. Let’s call it quits for today at any rate.” He said, standing up from his desk. Sharon slipped the files into her briefcase and stood to shake his hand. 

“Thank you, James. This looks excellent. I cannot wait for this weekend.” She beamed. They exchanged a few more pleasantries and said goodbye. After her departure, Bucky began to tidy his desk, dealing with the other files, coffee cups and other detritus. It wasn’t nearly 11 in the morning yet, and he still had a long day ahead of him. He shuffled over to the keurig and popped in another serving. It was just a two-coffee kind of day. 

_______________________________________

New York City was definitely a difficult choice for Bucky. When he’d first returned the sheer volume of day-to-day life was nearly intolerable. Time, therapy and routine had helped him to deal with the worst of his triggers, but it could still be quite overwhelming at times. He loved heading out of the city, driving upstate and spending a few days in nature. The Hudson Valley simply could not be beat. So normally, this would be practically a vacation weekend for Bucky. Getting pampered at a spa on a scenic vineyard would do anybody good. However, the stress of being around Steve and Sharon was almost enough to ruin his entire week. 

He had called Becca friday night to let her know that he was going to miss the club yet again. Normally she would make an aggravated noise and complain about how much Bucky worked and how little time he had for himself. Friday though, she’d just gone very quiet. 

Bucky threw a few more items into his day bag, preparing quick fixes for sunburns and bug bites. He glanced at the clock, 7:30am. He still had time before heading over to Hydrangea Weddings. 

It was just so uncharacteristic for Becca to be silent and Bucky just knew something was wrong. 

“Are you really that angry with me?” She’s practically whispered into the phone and Bucky had dropped onto the couch behind him. It had taken him 30 minutes to convince her that he wasn’t doing this out of spite; he wasn’t avoiding her because of the Natasha incident. He’d explained where he was going, “A high end wedding; vineyard upstate; big promotion”. It seemed to comfort her that the work excuse was real. He’d also explained that he and Natasha were working towards getting to know each other. “We text a lot; she’s funny; we have a lot in common”. By the end of the chat, Becca seemed to be slightly more at ease, but Bucky knew he was going to have to make this up to her in a big way soon. 

It wasn’t that Bucky really thought Becca would vanish again, but she was not a part of his life for so many years while he finished high school and served in the military. They only reconnected so recently and the growing pains of getting to know each other as adults scared him. 

Bucky finished packing up his kit for the day and slung the bag over his shoulder. He would make it up to her, he promised himself. Just as soon as the whole Carter wedding debacle was put to bed. 

He shook his head, chugged his coffee and braced himself for the day to come. 

___________________________________________________

 

Clearly Bucky had severely underestimated just how uncomfortable it was possible for him to be in this situation. When Sharon had pulled up, Bucky was relieved to note that she owned a luxury SUV. It would put a little more distance between him and the happy couple. He slid into the back, greeting the couple in front of him. Sharon pulled out her GPS and entered the address for Red Maple Vineyards, pulling out into traffic. By and large the drive was pleasant, Bucky went over his calendar for the next week and sent a brief email to Darcy, checking in on her client’s impending wedding. 

“I thought Peggy was joining us.” Bucky said a few minutes into the drive, noting her absence. 

“Oh, work issues came up.” Sharon explained. “She should make it up later in the day, in the afternoon, around 2 or 3 o’clock?” She said, glancing back at Bucky in the rearview mirror.

“Sounds perfect. She’ll miss brunch but she can still see the grounds with us.” He said, lapsing back into silence and watching the city buzz by the car window. 

Somewhere outside the city, Sharon started to rifle through her center console with one hand. 

“What are you looking for?” Steve asked, turning towards her.

“Oh! I was on spotify the other day and it occurred to me that we haven’t picked a wedding song yet! I made a little playlist with some good options.” She exclaimed, pulling out an aux cord. “Plug my phone in and we can go through my specially curated playlist and look for a good option. I tried to pick modern songs. You know I don’t really like that old stuff.” She said. Steve picked up her phone and plugged it in, opening up her playlists. Bucky started to shift uncomfortably in his seat; this was going to get awkward fast. 

It only got worse when Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing by Aerosmith started to play. Bucky almost kept the grimace of disgust off his face. Steve did not bother to even try.

“No?” Sharon asked, glancing over at her fiance’s scowl. 

“Doesn’t feel very wedding-y.” He responded, crinkling his nose. She shrugged and he clicked next. Rude by Magic pops up next. Bucky sinks a little lower into his seat as Steve heaves a great sigh. 

“Not this one either?” Sharon asks. 

“Sharon this song is about defying your parents and eloping. Why would we play this?” Steve said, shaking his head.

“It’s fun!” She responded quickly. “What would you play then?” She asked. 

“You know me Sharon, I love the classics. Timeless music.” He responded. She raised an eyebrow and looked over at him. “Like The Way you Look Tonight.” He mumbled. Bucky smiled to himself a little. He had a soft spot for that song at weddings and it was always on his short list for recommendations. There was something about the easy affection and slightly playful nature that seemed to bring out the heart of the couple. 

Sharon rolled her eyes. “We’re not in a retro movie, Steve. People will be bored. No one listens to that stuff anymore.” She frowned. 

“I know, I know. Let me look a little further down the list.” He scrolled for a few seconds and clicked one. “How about this?” He asked. Everything by Michael Buble began to play. Sharon squealed in excitement, bouncing in her seat a little bit. 

“This is perfect, Grant! Oh, I love it!” She giggled, singing along to the words. Steve smiled stiffly, placing her phone back into it’s holder in the center console. Bucky rolled his eyes. He had nothing against this song, it was perfectly fine. A little generic, perhaps, but sweet. Yet, between Steve’s love of the classics and their swing dancing classes, it seemed like a bit of a waste. Surely there was a song that they connected with more as a couple. Bucky knew he was overinvesting and mostly tried to zone out as Sharon sang along. 

“James?” He realized she was saying his name, shaking him out of his trance. “I asked what you thought of this song? Don’t you think it’s perfect?” She asked. 

Putting on his most diplomatic smile, he responded “It’s perfect.”

________________________________________

Red Maple Vineyards was as delightful as Bucky remembered. The green rolling hills created a serene sense of isolation, but you lost none of the modern amenities. Bucky managed to escape being an awkward third wheel at brunch by meeting with the events coordinator. She was an old friend, someone he’d met while doing simple event planning for the Starks a few years ago. She invited him to her office for lunch and they discussed logistics. Mostly though, she let him hide from his clients for a few minutes, nodding understandingly when he explained he needed a little break. 

However, after brunch there was no option to avoid his duty. He met the pair out in the gardens, standing at the crossroads which lead to different parts of the vineyard. 

“Hello you two!” Bucky cooed, a little bit of food and fresh air did wonders to restore his ability to spew bullshit. “How was brunch?” 

“Really delicious.” Sharon responded and Steve nodded, clearly still feeling uncomfortable. “And we are excited to see more!” She exclaimed, slipping her arm around Steve’s shoulders. They made a cute couple, Bucky observed grudgingly. It was definitely not traditional proportions. Steve was several inches shorter than Sharon Carter and slighter in build, but their easily physical affection made the reversal seem almost natural. If Bucky wasn’t still seething under the surface about Steve’s asshole behavior, the image of the two would probably be heart melting. 

“Well,” Bucky broke his train of thought. “There are a few things we could do with our afternoon. There’s a tour through the guest accommodations, complimentary spa treatments and even horseback riding.” Bucky said. 

“Oh horseback riding!” Sharon’s face lit up. “Peggy and I used to ride together all the time on the family estate and on the farm. When she’s here we simply have to go.” She said. Steve nodded along, though he looked slightly paler than he had before. “In the meantime I’m not sure what exactly we should do. I would love to try out their spa treatments, but I think we need to check out the guest rooms and make sure they’re acceptable.” She pouted a little, turning towards Steve. There was a lull in the conversation.

“James!” A voice called out and the world seemed to tilt on it’s axis briefly. He turned around and sure enough, Natasha Romanov was striding down the path towards them. His brain completely stalled, at a loss for what to do with her sudden appearance. 

“Natasha.” He said, in a trance. “What in the world brings you here?” He asked as she came up to him and kissed him on the cheek. She had daily practices for the ballet, so it was unusual to see her so far afield. On top of that, she was dressed in casual clothes, jean shorts and a loose tank top. 

“I was looking at some locations for off-site performances for the end of summer.” She answered smoothly. Bucky cocked his head to the side slightly and she winked at him. Becca. Definitely Becca. 

“Please excuse my rudeness but are you Natasha Romanov by any chance?” Sharon’s voice cut through Bucky’s internal revenge plotting. Natasha turned her attention away from Bucky and towards the couple, flashing her most disarming smile. 

“Yes, Natasha Romanov, this is Sharon Carter and Steve Rogers. Clients of mine.” Bucky quickly jumped in to make introductions before they could do any damage. 

“Sharon Carter, of the British business Carters?” Natasha asked, extending her hand. 

“The very same,” Sharon said, shaking her hand. “I am embarrassed to admit this, but I am an avid ballet fan and I just can’t get enough of your work.” She said, a deep blush settling across her cheeks. “I’ve followed your career since high school. The combination of technique and emotion is unparalleled, in my opinion.” Natasha smiled and looked down briefly. “I am so sorry if this is weird.” 

“Not at all.” Natasha said. “It’s not everyday I meet people who know my work and it, uh, feels good.” She grinned again, adjusting the bag on her shoulder.

“How do you know James?” Sharon asked, looking between Bucky and Natasha. Before he could even think to respond, Natasha was already speaking.

“We were childhood friends when he lived in Russia. I moved to the states recently and we reconnected and soon we will be married.” Natasha answered. Surely, James thought, this has to be a bad dream, just one hellacious nightmare. Vaguely he could hear Sharon cooing over Natasha and James and blathering on about double dates and dinner invitations but the blood rushing through his ears seemed much louder. He gripped Natasha’s elbow firmly and slowly came back to his senses. 

“Well we need to get going.” Bucky said, still unsure how to proceed. Natasha glanced up at him briefly and slid her elbow from his grasp. 

“I am so reluctant to let you go.” Sharon said, pouting. “I have a thought!” She exclaimed. James wasn’t sure he wanted to hear this plan. “Natasha could I steal a few hours of your time?” She asked, smiling coyly. 

“I am free for this afternoon.” She answered. 

“Perfect. Then why don’t Natasha and I go and check out the spa amenities and you boys can go look at the guest accommodations! That way we get a taste of everything before Peggy arrives.” She explained, grasping Natasha’s hand.

“I could go for a massage.” Natasha shrugged. Bucky knew logically he should object, find a way to wiggle out of this situation, however his mental state had still not recovered from Natasha’s bombshells. 

“Great! See you boys later!” Sharon shouted and the two girls scampered off towards the spa area. Their retreating forms seemed to refocus Bucky’s mind and his attention snapped to Steve. 

“Steve, I swear to god this is not what it looks like.” He began, but Steve just shook his head.

“Look, Bucky, if I judged you for this I would be the world's biggest hypocrite.” He held out his hand, “Let’s just start over.” He said, and Bucky shook his hand. 

“Okay.” He agreed. “Ready to see some guest rooms? They’ve got exciting offerings such as the green room, the red room, the blue room and even, their crowning glory, the yellow room.” Steve laughed heartily as they moved toward the entrance to the guest suites. Surely they could get through this without a major incident, Bucky reassured himself. Besides, at least he didn’t have to juggle Sharon, Steve and Natasha all afternoon.

______________________________

 

Sharon and Natasha followed the signs for the spa, rounding a few corners before Sharon stopped in her tracks. 

“Wow.” She said, peering into the state of the art workout facilities. “That’s one hell of a gym.” She murmured.

“It’s lovely.” Natasha agreed, smirking. “You know, I did not get to do my workout today.” She commented.

“Oh?” Sharon asked. “Well, a spa is a spa right? We could stop here for a bit and put in some gym time.” She suggested, already swinging the door open. Not only were there a multitude of machines available but there were large areas designated for tumbling and trampoline work. 

“What do you know about gyms?” Natasha asked playfully, following her into the gym. 

“I was a nationally ranked gymnast all through college.” Sharon said, flipping her hair. “I still practice quite a bit. I’ve kept the basic skills pretty clean.” She winked, tying her hair up into a bun with an elastic from her purse. 

“In Russia, when you trained ballet, you trained gymnastics as well to help with strength and flexibility.” She countered, putting her own hair up. “Okay then, show me what you got, blondie.” She challenged. Sharon grinned.

______________________________________

Looking at guest room after guest room was decidedly boring, how many variations on beige could possibly exist in the same space? However, Bucky found himself enjoying a vibrant conversation with Steve. It seemed like they’d managed to let go of some of the animosity. Perhaps after Natasha’s announcement the score felt a little more even. They chatted amiably, falling into the easy camaraderie from their first interactions. 

At several points Bucky thought about explaining to Steve the whole situation with Natasha, his sister and the engagement, but the time never seemed right. Besides, it hardly mattered if Steve thought he was single or engaged. He was firmly off limits. It would also be a shame to ruin whatever friendship they were currently building for the sake of honesty. Despite the litany of rationalizations, Bucky felt guilt settle into his stomach.

“Bucky if I have to look at one more identical guest room, I am just going to cry.” Steve groaned as they left yet another identical accommodation. 

“I couldn’t agree more.” Bucky said, flicking aside the eightieth brown curtain they’d seen that day. “Let’s call it quits. Everything here is top notch anyway.” Bucky shrugged, walking down the hallway. “Let’s see if we can’t find the girls. Maybe there’s time for a cup of coffee before Peggy gets here.” He said, walking towards the exit. 

Of all the things Bucky was expecting to find, Sharon and Natasha engaged in an all-out, move-for-move tumbling competition was on the bottom of that list. Both Bucky and Steve stood with their mouths agape as the two women twisted and flung their bodies through the air. The staff had opened one of the sets of french doors and extending the tumbling mats outside into the courtyard and a sizable group of people had gathered to watch the proceedings. It was a really impressive display, since both women had kept their skills up and Bucky and Steve tacitly agreed to stay quiet and watch rather than make their presence known. 

A few minutes later, however, their quiet observation was interrupted. “Steven! What in the world is going on here?” Peggy asked, walking up behind the boys. She must have changed after work and looked more casual than Bucky had ever seen her. 

“Peggy!” Steve exclaimed. He turned to greet her and kissed her on the cheek. A memory suddenly surfaced. Sharon’s Aunt Peggy was also Steve’s pediatrics mentor Peggy. The little pieces seemed to click together in his head, painting a rather complex whole.

“James?” Peggy said. “Are you alright dear?” She asked, reaching for his hand. 

“Oh I’m fine, Peggy. It’s good to see you again.” He responded, turning up his charm and smiling. “Sorry I was just thinking about the location.” He explained.

“It is simply lovely James.” Peggy grinned. “It already feels to romantic and peaceful.” She looked around. “I will admit that the tranquility is slightly disturbed by the display Sharon is putting on…” She frowned. “Who is that other woman?” 

“Her name is Natasha Romanov.” Bucky responded. 

“Like the ballerina?” Peggy asked, eyes wide. 

“The very same.” Bucky quirked a smile. 

“She’s also Bucky’s fiance.” Steve piped up. Briefly Bucky felt his anxiety flare, but he thought up several ways to kill the most people in his general vicinity as quickly as possible and he felt himself calm down. Sure it was a weird coping mechanism, but his therapist had told him to find something that worked for him. 

“James! I didn’t know you were engaged! Congratulations!” Peggy cooed and moved to hug him enthusiastically. 

“Oh, thank you.” James muttered.

“And to a famous Russian prima nonetheless.” She said, pulling back. “You simple have to help us get good tickets for one of her upcoming shows.” She crooned, patting his cheek. 

“Uh, sure.” Bucky responded at a loss for the appropriate response in this situation. 

“Good, good. Now, let’s put a stop to this and get on with our day.” Peggy smiled and moved toward the green. Sharon was just getting ready to run another tumbling pass. 

“Sharon, dear!” She called, stopping Sharon before she committed to the action. Sharon spun around as her face lit up. 

“Aunt Peggy you made it!” Sharon exclaimed, jogging over to greet her aunt. 

“Hello sweetie.” She responded and looked past her towards Natasha. “Hello dear, you must be James’ Natasha then.” She extended her hand. “Peggy. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She said while they shook hands. 

“Likewise.” Natasha muttered before wandering back over to Bucky and Steve. Peggy and Sharon came over a few seconds later. Sharon waved to the crowd briefly and they cheered before dissipating. The staff immediately came and began to clear the mats and reassemble the gym. 

“So how did you boys enjoy yourselves?” Peggy asked, slipping her arm around Steve’s shoulder. 

“The rooms were nice.” He answered, slipping an arm around her back. 

“They will work fine for your guests.” Bucky responded tersely. “We should move on. It seems like you found the amenities to your liking.” He raised an eyebrow. 

“Yes, and the staff was very flexible.” She said with a laugh. “We really enjoyed ourselves. In fact, we’re going to meet up at the studio when I’m back in town so she can teach me some ballet.” Sharon grinned. 

“It should be quite entertaining.” Natasha said, smirking. Bucky glanced between them for a moment, looking at Steve. He shrugged. 

“Right then. I was promised horseback riding.” Peggy said interrupting the small talk. 

“Of course.” Bucky grinned. “The barn is this way.” He gestured down a dirt path that headed off down the valley and the group began to wander through the afternoon heat. 

The barn and stables were remarkably well kept and Bucky was distinctly impressed. They managed to secure horses for the entire group, including Natasha and Peggy. 

Both Sharon and Peggy seemed quite at home on their mares while Natasha and Bucky kept pace. 

“You ride really well.” Sharon said, falling back between Bucky and Natasha. “I learned as a child both at school and living on a farm. I didn’t like team sports much, but this was something I felt comfortable doing.” She explained.

“I thought you were a gymnast.” Natasha commented. 

“Oh I was, but I didn’t devote large amounts of time to it until middle school. In elementary school I refused to separated from the stables for long.” She smiled. “Besides it’s the easiest way to get around the family ranch where I spent summers.” 

“Ah. I learned at school as well. It was not something emphasized in Russian schools, but it was considered to be very,” Natasha paused and frowned, glancing toward Bucky. “Classy? Is that the word I want?” She asked.

“Yeah, that works.” Bucky said, shrugging. “I picked it up there too and had a natural knack for it. Honestly it’s been awhile since I’ve been on a horse other than a few weddings here and there in the last couple of years, but it’s like riding a bicycle. Just picked it back up.” They three laughed, causing Peggy to turn around on her mare. 

“What are you all making such a ruckus over?” She asked, grinning. It was a lovely day, the forest was full of old, knotted trees that shaded the paths and allowed for dappled sunlight to peek through. The summer heat meant that the foliage was out in full, flowers were blooming and wildlife was active in the cool shade. The vineyard had extensive, clear trails that allowed you to tour the different growing areas as well as classic upstate woods. There were even a few scenic viewpoints listed on the map.

“Where is Steven?” Peggy asked, shaking Bucky out of his thoughts. He frowned and twisted in his saddle only to see Steve bounce around the last corner, pretty far behind the group. While the four in the front were quite comfortable on their mounts, Steve was very obviously not at all comfortable on a horse. 

“Didn’t you say you and Steve met in school?” Bucky asked Sharon. She smiled. 

“Yes. He didn’t do much in the way of exercise though. They were still managing his health conditions.” She answered. “Believe it or not when we reconnected through Peggy during Steve’s residency he was almost unrecognizable. He really was so tiny and frail in high school. He’s still definitely petite but at least he isn’t bone thin now.” She said, watching Steve fondly as he bumbled down the path toward them. 

“Don’t wait for me!” Steve called, leaning forward on his horse a little bit. Unfortunately, the horse took this as an invitation to start moving more quickly, which caused Steve to panic a bit. He kicked lightly at the horse’s flanks, increasing his agitation. The four more experienced riders tried to call out tips and advice to him, while keeping their own horses calm. At the worst time possible, a snake slid onto the path directly in the sightline of Steve’s horse. With a screeching whinny, Steve’s horse reared up and took off at a fast gallop. He managed to hang onto his reigns but could do nothing to calm his horse once it set off. The other four riders stared after him in wonder for a moment, unsure what to do. Bucky and Sharon were the closest to the runaway horse and so they took off to save Steve. 

Steve’s horse had veered around the next corner and was taking off across a large field, headed back towards a wooded area. Bucky accelerated, coming up on his right side. Sharon was further afield. 

“Sharon!” Bucky shouted. “There’s a turn in the map ahead.” Bucky had always had a head for maps and since his sniper training it was nearly impossible for him to forget the lay of the land. “It’s along a steep cliff. Take that path on your left and try to head off the horse. I’ll try to catch up to Steve from behind and stop them before they get there.” Sharon nodded once and took off for the forest path. Bucky urged his horse on faster coming up on Steve’s flank.

“Steve, don’t panic!” He shouted once he was in hearing range.

“Working on it!” Steve shouted back, clearly panicking. They were approaching the wooded area with the turn quickly and Bucky knew he needed to act immediately. 

“In a few minutes I am going to come up on your left. I’m going to grab your waist and you’re going to jump onto my horse.” He explained, sweat dripping down his forehead. 

“What the fuck?” Steve shouted back. Bucky rolled his eyes. With a final kick, his horse pulled level with Steves. They were going to get one shot at this transition before the path narrowed and low hanging tree branches made any kind of safe transition nearly impossible. 

“Just trust me!” Bucky shouted, gathering his reins into his flesh hand. Briefly, his mind conjured memories of the earlier prosthetics when he could barely control his arm. The battlefield adrenaline butheads with the anxiety that lingered from his injury and recovery. Shaking his head quickly, he slid his metal arm around Steve’s waist. 

“On the count of three.” He shouted into Steve’s ear. There was no time for hesitation or doubt. Steve nodded, squeezing his eyes shut. “One… two… three!” Bucky shouted and lifted Steve across the gap. Steve’s hands grasped desperately to the front of Bucky’s button down, locking into the fabric. With a little bit of wiggling, Steve managed to find a stable position in the saddle, in front of Bucky, but still facing him. Bucky pulled back on the reins hard, slowing his horse and pulling away from the treeline. His metal arm stayed around Steve’s back, slowly rubbing up and down in a half hug. He could feel the harsh breath rattling in his chest as they trotted back through the field toward Natasha and Peggy’s waiting figures. 

“You’re okay.” He whispered. Steve pulled back a little, searching through his pants pockets. With great gasping breaths, he pulled out an inhaler and managed to calm his breathing. Bucky kept his hand around his waist, sitting lower on his back. His golden hair was tousled by the wind and lay haphazardly across his forehead. In the back of his mind Bucky registered how cute Steve looked sitting in his arms, settling down after the incident. The same part of his mind also recognized how fucked up it was to think someone having an asthma attack was cute. 

 

“Thank you, Bucky.” Steve managed to rasp out before they made it back to the group. 

“Don’t mention it.” Bucky responded as they finally caught back up to the others. He dismounted and helped Steve down off the horse afterwards. “Besides, now we’re even. One life-save each.” He said smiling. Steve smiled shakily, letting out a little chuckle. 

The others came over to help tend to Steve and figure out a plan for the rest of the day, but Bucky’s mind was consumed by one thought. 

He was well and truly fucked and Steve Rogers was 100% the reason. This wedding needed to be over as soon as possible for everyone’s sake. 

_________________________________________

 

Steve seemed shaken but unharmed by the whole incident. Still, it seemed like everyone was worn out from the chase; it was time to head home. Peggy drove herself up, so she headed out first, agreeing to join them the next morning at the Botanic Gardens. The rest of the group stayed and chatted in the parking lot for a few moments, making small talk. 

“Well, I think I’ll be off.” Natasha said, leaning up to kiss Bucky on the cheek. “I’d offer you a ride back, James, but I brought the little bike.” She shrugged. 

“No worries Natasha. I have some last minute details to talk to Sharon about anyway.” He said. “You still have to take me out sometime though.” He smiled. Bucky had a small fascination with motorcycles. 

“You’re on.” She smirked. With a small wave she turned towards her ride. 

“Holy shit!” Steve exclaimed, walking after Natasha quickly. “Is that a Magpul Ronin?” He asked, breaking into a light jog to catch up to her. She turned and grinned, picking up her helmet off the seat. 

“Yeah, it is. She’s my baby.” She patted the seat. “Most people would have no idea what this is… You ride?” She asked, cocking an eyebrow. 

“I own a Norton Commando. 2006.” He clarified. “And I’ve got my eye on a vintage Indian Chief or two.” He said, smiling. “Not that it would hold a candle to this beauty.” He examined the bike with reverence, carefully taking in each detail.

“Oh, you like the big, noisy bikes then.” She said. He shrugged, going back to his examination. “I’ve only ridden them a handful of times. I prefer them small and fast.”

“I’ve never even been on something this technical though. I can’t imagine how it would drive.” He said, standing back. 

“You should take it out sometime.” She said, shrugging. 

“You would let me do that? With your Ronin?” Steve asked, incredulous. 

“Sure. The bike you can’t drive is the Ferrari V4. Only I drive that one.” She said.  
“No fucking way.” Steve’s eye’s were the size of dinner plates. “That bike doesn't exist yet. It’s a concept. An imagined future.” Natasha pulled out her phone and flicked through a couple pages. 

She flipped it around, a picture of her sitting atop the sleek, modern body. “There are perks to my family name.” She said. Steve examined the phone closely.

“Holy crap. That’s bananas, Natasha.” He said. They continued to talk shop about their bikes and suggest riding areas and possible meet-ups for the future. Off to the side Bucky and Sharon watched the two enthuse about their shared interest. 

“Well that’s unexpected.” Sharon said lightly. 

“Definitely not the way I expected their meeting to go, but it’s kind of cool. Natasha moved to the states really recently and it would be good for her to find people who share her interests. I know she loves to ride, even with the risk to her body and career.” Bucky explained.

“Well I certainly don’t know enough to keep up with Grant.” Sharon said, shrugging. “It’s good he has someone else he can take that too.” Bucky smiled at Sharon and cringed internally. He couldn’t fathom the results if Natasha and Steve became friends. Not only would Steve become a fixture in his life, but the two of them together would surely wreak havoc. 

A few minutes passed before Sharon called Steve over and everyone finally went their separate ways. There were a few pleasantries exchanged once in the car and then Bucky slept blissfully all the way back into the city.


	7. An Epidemic of Cold Feet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not a warm foot in sight. We learn some more tragic backstories and people do very stupid things while very drunk. 
> 
> Also we learn about chrysanthemums.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brief mention of someone vomiting. Panic attacks, discussions of war and injuries. Angry Steve.
> 
> Long long long chapter. But we're almost there. A little bit of a montage and then the wedding! How will it end!!???

5:00AM arrived bright and early. Bucky rolled out of bed, groaning along with the chipper bird song and moved sluggishly around his apartment. He pulled out some basketball shorts and got ready for a workout with a healthy dose of physical therapy before starting his work day. The arm was mostly self-sustaining at this point, but he needed to keep the extensive scar tissue limber and his musculature balanced to compensate for the weight of the metal. Besides he had some mental demons he needed to exercise out before meeting the happy couple again this morning. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden opened at 10:00AM on sundays, but Bucky had arranged with their staff for them to view the grounds at 9:00 instead. This gave him quite a few hours to do chores around the house before he needed to leave.

Bucky started his stretching routine, bending into new positions with carefully timed breaths. His mind wandered as he worked through the familiar set of actions, heading toward dangerous territory. After his talk with Darcy, Bucky was determined to finish this wedding, get his promotion and never think about Steven Rogers again. It was a simple crush and it would go away quickly once the knot was tied. Besides, Bucky had other things to worry about, such as his impending, non-consensual marriage to Natasha. He held in a sigh, sticking to his breathing routine. It seemed like the not-getting-married message was still missing its mark. Everyday he spent planning this wedding, the whole event seemed to tilt further towards disaster. Sharon had picked tan for her bridesmaids dresses. Tan. The color of mud and rotting fruit.

Bucky shifted into another pose, breathing deeply. He just needed to get through the next few days. In fact, just getting through this morning would be great. He couldn’t seem to shake the image of Steve safely nestled in his lap, cheeks pink with exertion. There had been such honest emotion in that moment, Bucky could not deny the magnetic pull he felt towards him. He dropped out of gate pose, hitting the ground and staying there for a moment. 

At the end of the day it came down to which of his desires was stronger, his attachment to the life he had worked so hard to build or his attachment to Steve. 

It shouldn’t have been a hard question.  
____________________________________

Bucky glanced up as Sharon’ SUV pulled into the parking lot and sent a quick text. He walked over to meet her at her car, looking around expectantly. 

“Where’s the rest of the party?” Bucky asked, noting that only Sharon had arrived. 

“Work emergencies abound.” She answered, shrugging. “The risk of having a few too many doctors in the family, but I guess I’ll forgive them.” She smiled. 

“You ready to check this place out?” Bucky asked, gesturing towards the gate. He had texted his contact at the Botanic Gardens to meet them at the gates. He had already seen this venue many times, though no one had ever gotten married here with Hydrangea Weddings. If his instinct proved correct this would be the first.

“Of course!” She said, rubbing her hands together. “I am so excited to see this place.” Bucky smiled and walked toward the entrance. The front gate swung open as they got closer, revealing his friend, Chi. 

“James Barnes.” She said, shaking her head. They exchanged kisses to the cheek before turning towards Sharon.

“Sharon Carter, this is Chi Lo the director here at the Botanic Gardens.” Bucky introduced the two.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. Thank you again for opening up early for us.” Sharon said, reaching forward to shake her hand.

“It is no problem. I owe Bucky a favor or two.” She winked and Bucky rolled his eyes. “Well, shall we get started?” She asked, leading the group into the gardens. The Brooklyn Botanic Gardens were absolutely extraordinary especially in the cool morning air. The tour was short but illustrated the majesty of the gardens. At each new location, Sharon’s eyes seemed to only grow wider, her questions more enthusiastic and her praise more effusive. The vineyard was lovely, but it really seemed this was the right location for this wedding. Bucky felt it in his bones. Apparently so did Sharon. As soon as Chi finished the tour, Sharon turned to Bucky with stars in her eyes. They were in a glass enclosure where the ceremony would take place. 

“This is it Bucky.” She said with confidence. Bucky’s brain stalled for a moment. He was expecting some more hesitation from her, especially since neither her aunt nor her fiance was here to make this choice with her.

“You’re sure this is what you want?” He asked.

“Yes. I know Sharon and Steve will love this place. Do you think there’s a better option?” She asked. 

“To be honest,” Bucky said. “No, I think this is the best place for your wedding.” He said, looking around. They were standing in the gorgeous Palm House; a huge glass atrium with luscious trees, surrounded by verdant foliage. It was fresh, bright and modern without losing the garden’s natural romantic atmosphere. It would be so easy to make this location into an elegant, modern fairyland. 

“Alright, fantastic!” Bucky said. “We’ve picked a location!” Sharon squealed a little and spun around. “I’ll get Chi to send me the information and available dates and we can talk this week.” He said. Sharon turned back towards him and frowned slightly. “This is going to move pretty quickly from here on out, you okay with that?” Bucky asked, stepping closer to Sharon.

“No, it’s great.” She said, brow furrowed. “I just, I finally got word on that meeting in England though, and I’ll be gone for at least a week. I’m flying out in just a few hours, part of the reason I asked to meet with you so early today. Mostly it’s frustrating because I won’t be around to do much planning.” She explained.

“Well, we can make the final call about the date over the phone. We’ll know the schedule better once the actual date is nailed down.” He said.

“Maybe Grant and Peggy can help you with some of the planning while I’m away. I really don’t want to wait too long before we tie the knot. Our lives are too unpredictable.” She said. Bucky couldn’t help but feel relieved that she wanted a short engagement. His affection for Sharon and his crush on Steve was making it more and more difficult to stay detached and do his job properly. 

“Sounds good. You can help coordinate from overseas and we can definitely get things done here while you go rule the world or whatever.” He said, smiling. In truth, he was slightly worried about making major wedding-day choices while Sharon was abroad but his concern was outweighed by his desire to get this wedding over with. 

“Well at least now I can leave knowing we have the location nailed down.” She said as they headed for the exit. 

“Everything is going to fall right into place from here on out. Trust me, I know what I’m talking about.” Bucky said already making lists of necessities and portioning out things that could be done while Sharon was abroad. It wouldn’t be easy, but Bucky never backed down from a challenge. 

____________________________

As he got back into his car, Bucky glanced at the clock. It was approaching 10:00am on a Sunday. While he had initially blocked the day out for work, there simply wasn’t enough to fill his day. In all honesty, he hadn’t expected Sharon to be so committed to a venue at this point. He was sure they would either go see another site or he would go to the office and prepare more options. Now, she was not only settled on a space but also leaving the country. Bucky had a free day on his hands. 

After a few moments of thought he used voice commands to bring up his phone. 

“Call Rebecca Maximoff.” He said, the phone system picking up the command.

“Calling Rebecca.” The computer voice intoned through the speakers. A few seconds later it started to ring.

“Hey Bucky!” Becca’s cheerful voice filtered through the speakers. 

“Hey, how’s it going Becca?” He asked. “How was the doctor's appointment?” 

“Perfect. We are both healthy and growing bigger everyday.” She said. “I thought you were location hunting all weekend for that big contract you have.” 

“I thought so too, but the bride made a choice quickly. Also she flies overseas tonight. So I have an unexpectedly free day.” He explained.

“Oh! Cool! Well, Pietro is off doing some kind of strategic defense for government servers or something, so I am all alone today.” She trailed off for a moment. “I know that we’ve been a little bit on the rocks recently, but maybe we could have lunch and just, talk or something?” She asked, hesitantly. 

“Yeah, that is exactly what I was thinking.” Bucky responded. “I’m out right now, so I can pick up some food and maybe we can make some lunch at my place.” He suggested. 

“That sounds nice. I’ll be over around eleven, okay?” She asked. Bucky agreed and after a few more minutes of small talk they both hung up. Bucky drove back to his apartment pleased with his plans. It would be good to talk to Becca again after the whole Natasha debacle. 

He picked up the ingredients for a simple lunch and got home with plenty of time to spare before Becca was supposed to arrive. He whistled to himself while tidying up a little. It had been a long time since he really had a day off. 

Right on time, the doorbell rang and Bucky let in him sister. 

“I feel like you look bigger every time I see you.” He said, gesturing toward her stomach. 

“Such a charmer.” She said, giggling. Bucky started to protest. “Don’t worry about it, Bucky, that’s the way this is supposed to work.” She said, smiling. “Speaking of my stomach though, I am really starving. Can we eat?” She asked, looking eagerly towards the kitchen. Bucky smiled. 

“Of course. I didn’t get much, but we can make a salad or something easy.” He said, leading the way. They pulled out lots of fresh vegetables and the ingredients for chicken salad and quickly set to work making the food. Normally this would be an easy, laughter filled afternoon but it felt tense and it wasn’t hard to pinpoint why. 

They sat down to eat and Becca brought her tote bag to the table with her.

“I’m glad everything is well with the baby.” Bucky said as they began to eat. 

“Me too. I cannot wait to be a mother.” She said, smiling. “And you are going to make a great uncle.” She beamed at him across the table. He smiled back but still felt the vague sense of unease. A few minutes passed in silence.

“So I was up at Red Maple Vineyards yesterday and you will never guess who I ran into.” He said, quirking an eyebrow.

“James, I do not know what you are talking about.” She said, raising her eyebrow. 

“Natasha showed up.” He said, popping a cherry tomato into his mouth. 

“Is that right?” Becca asked, taking a sip from her drink. 

“Yeah. I’ll forgive you though. She definitely made the trip more interesting. I think her and the groom bonded over motorcycles.” He responded. Maybe they could just be adults about this whole situation and accept Natasha as a new friend. 

“Sounds pretty entertaining.” Becca said, sliding her bag closer to her. She pulled out a set of magazine clippings and spread them out on the table. Bucky glanced across the collected scraps and sighed. 

“Becca, I can’t believe you right now.” Bucky said, running his hand through his hair. 

“I know you’re a wedding planner and probably don’t need my help, but Natasha told me that you told your clients that you two were engaged. Even if the wedding doesn’t happen for a little while, can’t we start planning it now?” She said, grinning. “I’m just so happy that you’ve accepted the offer. It is definitely for the best.” She started to push the wedding magazine ideas around while Bucky breathed in and out slowly trying to remain calm. 

“I am only going to say this once, Becca. We are not getting married.” He said, looking her straight in the eye. “I didn’t correct Natasha when she said we were getting married because there was no use in explaining the situation to my clients.” He sighed again. “Look, she’s nice and I would be fine exploring a friendship, though between the two of you I am becoming less and less willing… But all this bullshit about marriage and engagements and promising future shit has got to stop. I am at my limit.” Bucky stood up and walked to the couch in his living room. 

“I know that this isn’t traditional James, but I think you are making a mistake. You really should consider it.” She said, following him and sitting next to him on the cushion. “I just can’t help but think you’d be happier.”  
“Becca I appreciate the concern but I am not you and Natasha is not Pietro. You got lucky and fell in love with someone who was family approved and there at the right time. Not everyone falls for a childhood friend and get married with the blessings of aristocratic family lines. Your life may have been something straight from a fairy tale, but mine isn’t right now and probably never will be.” He said, picking up a pillow and playing with a loose thread. “You married for love, give me the chance to do the same.” There were a few moments of silence before Becca took in a deep breath and let it out.

“Pietro and my marriage was arranged by our grandparents. They told me about it a week before the ceremony and I cried so much I vomited.” Becca said quietly, her eyes shining lightly. For a moment, Bucky went rigid, his entire being devoid of emotion.

“What?” He asked, his voice low. “Becca, I don’t understand.” He said, reaching for her hand. She latched onto his, curling her fingers around his palm so tightly it hurt. 

“About a month after my 18th birthday they told me that I was going to marry Pietro. I knew him kind of, but to say we were childhood playmates is an exaggeration at best. We barely knew each other. He is 11 years my senior. Even older than you.” She gave a watery laugh. “I was devastated but I had no means to resist their wishes. I was 18 and well-educated but I had no money and no connections. There was nowhere for me to go. So I swallowed my grief and married him.” She went on, voice shaking. 

“I’m going to kill him.” Bucky said under his breath, thinking his way into the storage locker where they kept his rifle ready. He was completely retired but when duty called… 

“No, Bucky, please let me finish. He was the saving grace of this whole disaster. I was so worried that night when we went to his house. I thought of him, much like you do now, as a terrible tyrant of a man. Who would marry an 18 year old practically against her will?” Becca patted their joined hands lightly. “But he did not touch me. He showed me to my own room and brought me food and warm milk and soft clothes and left me be. The staff was attentive and I was very comfortable, if slightly unsure of what to make of the whole situation. He let me rest and then came to speak to me after a few days.” She untangled their hands positioning them both back in her lap. 

“I don’t understand Becca. You two seem so happy.” Bucky said running a hand down his face. 

“We are Bucky. We really are happy, but we didn’t start that way.” She said, ducking her head. 

“Why did you do it Bec?” Bucky asked quietly though he was pretty sure he already knew the answer. 

“Bucky, I didn’t have an option. There was no one in my corner.” She said.

“I have always been in your corner, Becca.” He said, voice low. 

“I know that Buck but it all happened so fast, literally within days and you were virtually unreachable on that undercover op and then you were injured only a few weeks later. There was never time.” She wiped tears from the corners of her eyes. “After that my issues barely held a candle to yours, and Pietro was so kind. He never demanded anything of me.” She paused for a moment. “It is too much to say I was happy. I felt trapped and I was so worried for you in that first year but I also was not afraid or lonely.” 

“I am so sorry Becca.” He said, at a loss for how else to response. 

“No, there was nothing you could have done.” She said, soothingly. “At any rate, one day I fell asleep with my computer on and several articles detailing the fall of the russian empire and the end of the aristocracy on my desk. When he came in to check on me, he of course noticed my choice of reading materials. We had a long talk and he revealed to me that he had been working in counterintelligence against Russia’s elites for the USA and was going to move there as soon as possible. He had agreed to the marriage to alleviate his family’s suspicions about him. He even offered to divorce me before leaving, if I wanted to stay in Russia.” Becca was smiling at this point. “But I thought about being in New York with you while you recovered and seeing where Mom and Dad lived. I thought about the freedom it would give me and I agreed to go with him when the time was right. Suddenly we were so much more open with each other; we bonded over our desires for the future and made plans and set goals.” Becca turned towards Bucky more fully, taking his hand in hers again. “I fell in love with him. I saw him for the person he truly was and loved him more for it.” She explained. 

“I am so sorry I couldn’t protect you from this. I’m glad it worked out, but you should never have had to suffer in the first place.” He said, pulling his sister into a tight hug.

“Maybe that is true, but I would not trade it for the happiness I have found.” She said against his shoulder. She pulled back and placed Bucky’s hands on her belly. “I would not trade this joy. I did not know PIetro would be my prince charming when we met and I never would have without giving him a chance. Just consider it, okay?” She asked, reaching up to touch Bucky’s cheek. “I just want what’s best for you.”

“Okay Becca.” Bucky sighed. “I’ll think about it.” 

_____________________________________________

The conversation he’d bad with Becca played on loop in Bucky’s head as he started his work week. His general opinion on arranged marriages had not changed but knowing her full story definitely made him think about his options. The rest of the visit had been fine, quiet but sociable. The unease was not eased by time or space though, so he threw himself into work as a welcome distraction. There was an enormous amount to be done on the Carter wedding and for once, Bucky was glad he had taken on such an enormous job. 

On Monday Bucky called Chi at the Gardens and discussed possible dates with the head of their events staff. Grimacing he hung up the phone and immediately dialed Sharon. It was around 3:00 in the afternoon in London, but he needed to get in touch with her urgently. 

“Sharon Carter.” She said, picking up the phone. Bucky breathed a sigh of relief.

“Hello Sharon. I am so sorry for interrupting you during your work.” He started, playing with a pen on his desk. 

“We are on break for another thirty minutes or so. You called at the perfect time actually. How is the planning going? Any news?” She asked.

“Yes. I actually just got off the phone with the events coordinator for the gardens and I have news about dates.” He said. “Now it’s not ideal in some ways.” 

“How long is the wait?” She said, voice tight. 

“Well it is currently the end of March. The gardens open soon for their year, but since they have such a limited season nearly all of this upcoming summer is fully booked. They do have an August 13th booking available, but I think for the sake of your guests we cannot hold the wedding in the heat of August.” He trailed off.

“I agree, that’s not ideal.” She said. 

“The next earliest they can do would be a year from now in April. I think it is a reasonable offer and it gives us time to ensure everyone gets the invitation and can plan travel time.” Bucky tried to keep his voice cheerful even though the thought of planning this wedding for a full year made his head and heart ache. Most weddings took that long to plan, it was not unreasonable, but some part of him was hoping for a closer date.

“That is longer than my family wants to wait.” Sharon said. “It’s a terrible reason but we’re making several large mergers in East Asia right now. It’s important for the family to get some positive press and I will face less judgement in high society if I am married.” She said softly, like admitting a secret. 

“Well, there is one other option. They had a recent cancellation for May 7th. They think the gardens will be mostly in bloom then and the weather should be pleasant enough.” Bucky said, hesitantly, counting days on his desk calendar.

“That’s coming up quick.” Sharon said.

“It’s about 5 weeks. It would be the shortest term wedding I’ve ever planned.” Bucky admitted. He wasn’t even sure that he could pull off this wedding in that time period, much less to a high enough caliber to please the guests.

“Is it possible though?” She asked, hope in her voice. 

“With enough money and enough connections, I think it will be.” Bucky did some quick calculations, running down a mental checklist of necessary items. 

“I have the money.” Sharon said quickly.

“And I have the connections.” Bucky responded. There was a pause. “I think we should put down reservations on both the 7th of this year and for late April next year. We can see how this week plays out and make the call when you get back.” Bucky said, already scribbling notes and making schedules. 

“That sounds good. Let’s do that. I’ll rally the troops and get Peggy and Steve to help out with more of the planning. Steve should give you a call today to see how he can help.” She said, also clearly writing notes. 

“Great. This week is going to be very important. If we are going to pull off a 5 week wedding, we can’t lose a that much time.” Bucky said, crinkling his nose. 

“It’s also worth getting in touch with the key invitees to the wedding and making sure they keep their weekends clear since we can’t send out save-the-dates until you get back.” Bucky said, already putting the next steps into action.

“Got it.” Sharon said. “Listen, James, I need to go. Duty calls. Let’s keep talking during this week.” 

“Alright Sharon. Let’s get to work.” He said. As soon as they’d hung up, Bucky was writing a flurry of emails and shouting through his intercom to Darcy. He was going to need backup.

_________________________________________________________

Steve did get into touch with Bucky and they planned to do some simple shopping on Wednesday. Bucky did his absolute best to not think about his crush and he did his best not to think about Natasha. For the first time in weeks, he was so busy he didn’t have time to feel the stress from his personal life. There was something freeing about it. 

Wednesday morning rushed to meet him and suddenly he found himself picking up Steve to go flower shopping, of all things.

“I hope you don’t expect me to know anything about flowers.” Steve said as they pulled up to Bucky’s favorite florist, Samuel Smithers. He kept a veritable warehouse of flower options, everything fresh and lush. There was no one else Bucky trusted for his arrangements. 

“That’s okay. I know about flowers and you know Sharon. We’ll figure something out together.” He said, smiling. “The flowers need to be decided on somewhat quickly, since he will probably need to special order some exotics in large quantities.” Bucky explained.

“I thought if we had the wedding in a Botanic Garden flowers wouldn’t be such a big deal.” Steve muttered, palming through some white roses.

“Trust me, imagine how bad this would be if you weren’t holding this in a garden.” He raised an eyebrow and Steve shuddered.

“White roses are classic. We’ll definitely be using some of those.” He said, pulling one out of its container. “The bigger issue is what to pair it with. The wedding is going to require flowers with impact but elegance.” He said, leading Steve toward the more lavish section of the market.

“The wedding colors are definitely going to pinks, bright whites and hints of dark green. Very floral and feminine, but with gunmetal and hammered silver accents to add a modern twist.” Steve nodded as they moved through the displays. Bucky moved with confidence, pointing out options like wax flowers and queen anne’s lace while keeping detailed notes.

“How about this one?” Steve asked, pointing to a mixture of yellow and white flowers with thick layers of long, narrow petals. 

“Those are chrysanthemums. Very pretty. Also a symbol of death in France and across most of East Asia.” Bucky said, raising an eyebrow. Steve dropped the stem he had picked up, chuckling.

“Perhaps not for this wedding.” He said, smiling. Bucky laughed gently. 

“Perhaps not.” He smiled, shifting away. A few minutes later, Steve spoke up again.

“At the risk of another cultural taboo, what about these?” He lifted a flower with a plethora of soft pink petals. 

“Peonies. I think…” Bucky said, coming to stand beside Steve, close enough to feel his warmth in the cool spring air. “They would be just perfect.” He said smiling and plucking the flower from Steve’s hand. “They’re exactly the statement flower we need. We’ll use them with white hydrangea. They’ll hold their own in the midst of everything else we have planned.” He said, sharing a smile with Steve. 

They walked for a few more minutes discussing different greenery and complementary flowers. After finishing up their list, Bucky turned the corner to to speak with Samuel about the arrangements. Right in front of him was a scene from his worst nightmare. Without thinking he dropped down behind a display causing Steve to swerve out of the way.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Steve said causing Bucky to make a shushing noise. Steve looked around, clearly unsure about what he was supposed to be doing. He squatted down half way next to Bucky, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Everything okay? Bucky?” He asked. 

“The man at the register.” Bucky said, briefly peeking around to confirm he was still there. “Is my ex-fiance, more or less.” He muttered. For a moment Steve stood very still, processing this information. 

“Out of curiosity, how many fiances are there?” He asked, quirking an eyebrow.

“Not the time Rogers.” Bucky said, voice low. Steve looked up watching the man finish checking out. He was rugged, well-muscled and tall. He might as well have walked out of a fucking men’s magazine. Steve couldn’t help but feel inadequate in the face of Bucky’s exes. Even if he wasn’t engaged to Sharon there was no way he could stack up against this dude and Natasha. Bucky was so far out of his league it was laughable. 

“Heads up Bucky. He’s coming this way.” Steve said quietly as the man turned around. Bucky lurched forward, scrambling and trying to get up. Rather than a subtle exit though, Bucky ended causing a scene, immediately attracting the attention of his ex. 

“James?” He said, pausing next to Steve. Panic was written clean across Bucky’s face. He grabbed a sprig of lavender that out of a bucket on the ground and popped back up, face beaming. 

“Found it. Oh! Brock? What a surprise!” He said, voice tight and high. Steve looked concerned, glancing back and forth between the two men. 

“It’s good to see you.” Brock said. “I see they got you something to fix that arm up. Looks almost normal.” He gestured to Bucky’s prosthetic, visible where he had rolled up the sleeves of his button down and sweater. Steve frowned, waiting for Bucky to bite his head off with one of his usual snappy comebacks. Instead Bucky hurried to roll down his sleeve, hiding his prosthetic as well as he could. 

“It’s been such a long time, I hardly think of it as a prosthetic anymore.” Bucky said quietly, avoiding eye contact. The sudden shift in his demeanor was deeply concerning to Steve. Bucky seemed to shrink under Brock’s scrutiny. 

“Steve Rogers.” He said, sharply, holding out his hand. 

“Brock Rumlow.” The man said, accepting the handshake. “And this,” he gestured behind him “is my wife, Synthia.” A beautiful woman with red hair and a splash of freckles came up to stand beside Brock. She carried a bag of flowers in one hand and the other was placed over her stomach. She definitely looked to be further along in her pregnancy than Becca. Bucky felt a sharp pain looking at the couple. 

“Hello ma’am.” Steve said, shaking her hand. 

“Hello.” She said to Steve. “Hi James.” She said softly, looking toward Bucky who was curling further in on himself. 

“Saw your name in the paper the other day.” Synthia said. He hand reached out as if she was going to touch Bucky but quickly dropped back to her side. “Seems like your career is going well.” She said. “We’re happy for you.” 

Bucky scoffed and pain flashed across Synthia’s eyes briefly. 

“I think we should be going now.” Steve said stiffly. He placed a hand on Bucky’s elbow and guided him around the couple and towards the counter. Steve could still feel the couple’s gaze on their backs as Samuel came over. Before he could even speak Steve held up a hand.

“Can you come back in a few minutes?” He asked. Samuel glanced between Bucky and Steve and nodded, drying his hand off on his apron. 

“Sure.” He said.

“Thanks.” Steve responded, placing a hand on Bucky’s back and rubbing slowly. “How you doing?” He asked voice low.

“Steve, I am so sorry.” Bucky said quietly leaning his weight on the countertop they stood in front of. “I didn’t that I would feel this upset seeing them again.” 

“It’s probably just the shock.” Steve said, frowning. 

“Brock and Synthia were in my first unit in the army.” Bucky said quietly. “We were all friends. When Brock and I became more than friends the unit was accepting and we were able to be fairly open even though don’t ask don’t tell was still in effect.” Bucky took a gulp of air. “I was transferred to Special Ops two years in and I had to switch units. Before I left, Brock told me he loved me and we promised to get married when we both got out. That promise got me through the sheer hell that I saw.” He said, voice steadying. He looked up at Steve. “Half of my unit died in the detonation that took off my arm and in the time it took for them to find us, even more people died. By the time I ended up in a military hospital I was so desperate for any kind of human life, for love, really; I wanted him.” Bucky cleared his throat and turned around, leaning back against the counter and looking into the distance. Sometime while he was speaking Brock and Synthia had left the market. 

“Anyway, they showed up together at my hospital bed. She had a ring on her finger and Brock pretended he didn’t remember when we were together.” Steve looked shell shocked but Bucky shrugged. “He was not a good man, still isn’t I’d guess. But I think I wanted to love him more than I did. I had been alone for so long after leaving my family. I was affection starved and he gave me what I craved. Anyway, they got married and I was left to rot by myself during my recovery.” Bucky held up his metal arm. “I think the arm had a lot to do with him leaving, like suddenly I came with too much baggage. Some days I doubt he was ever faithful to me.” Bucky gave Steve a half smile. “In the end I dodged a bullet and it was almost 5 years ago now. I’ve moved on.” He frowned. “I’m not sure why it affected me so profoundly. Maybe it’s the whole thing with Natasha.” He said, mostly talking to himself.

“That asshole.” Steve growled, turning slightly red in the face. He was pushing the sleeves of his flannel up, delicate hands already balled into fists. “I have half a mind to go after him…” 

“Steve?” Bucky asked, touching his shoulder. 

“How can you be okay with this? With them flaunting it? She knew too! They both knew! They were your friends and they left you there when they knew you didn’t have anyone else!” His face was turning darker shades of red. Bucky was torn between calming him down and letting him continue to work himself up. It was kind of endearing. It had been a long time since someone got angry on his behalf.

“It’s really okay Steve. I am better off without him, times a million.” Bucky said. “Besides he always struggled with not having the traditional wife-and-kids scenario. It’s better this way for both of us. He got his picket fence and I got a shiny robot arm.” He said. “It’s just a shitty day.” He said, shaking his head. 

“Shit Bucky.” He said, running a hand through his hair. “That’s an understatement. I just get kind of worked up over bullies and assholes.” Steve said. 

“Let’s just get the flowers and get out of here.” Bucky said, turning around and catching Samuel’s eye. “Maybe we can get some drinks when we’re done.” He said, winking at Steve.

“I could use a good drink.” Steve agreed. 

“It’s a plan then.” Bucky said, turning to tell Samuel the flowers order and trying not to assign too much meaning to getting drinks with Steven Rogers.

______________________________________________

It had been a long time since Bucky had been this drunk, he thought absently to himself as he leaned back against the sofa. He was sitting on the ground, head against the armrest while Steve laid out over the length of the sofa. Their faces were close enough to have whispered conversations. Somehow drinks had turned into buying a couple bottles of tequila and going back to Bucky’s apartment. At the time it had worried Bucky, but right now he couldn’t really remember why. They were having such a good time, after all. 

“No, really!” Steve said, giggling through his own drunken thoughts. “I was the star of debate club in high school. I couldn’t play sports but I was always scrapping for a fight.” 

“That’s the stupidest way to fight people I’ve ever heard.” Bucky slurred back. 

“Well I did lots of fist fighting too, but that was always less rewarding. I could actually beat people in debate club.” Steve said and the pair dissolved into giggles. 

“You get beat up a lot?” Bucky asked. Steve nodded emphatically against the pillow.

“All the time. Like you wouldn’t believe. It worried my mom and then Abraham sick I think. That’s how Sharon and I met in high school.” He admitted, eyes shining. They’d lit the electric fireplace rather than turn all the lights on. Steve had insisted they had to try it once he noticed Bucky had a fireplace. “She helped me out after a particularly nasty beating.” 

“You start dating after that?” Bucky asked, quietly.

“God no.” Steve laughed. “She was popular and I barely reached her shoulder at full height. No, were more acquaintances in high school. I did my medical internship with Peggy and she re-introduced us. Honestly, I am so lucky she gave me a chance, Buck. She’s one of the most incredible people I’ve ever known.” He said with a small smile. Bucky felt his gut churn. 

“Ya know, I got into lots of fights too.” Bucky said, reaching for a safe conversation topic. “But no one was around to worry about me.” He said with a huff. 

“No parents?” Steve asked, too drunk to observe social conventions.

“Nah, they died when I was 9. Becca was a year old. Car accident.” He said shortly. “That’s when we moved to Russia to live with my grandparents but they were all stuffy and aristocratic.” He chuckled. “I raised too much hell so they packed me off to boarding school as soon as high school rolled around.” He explained. “They didn’t wanna talk to me after I came out as gay and joined the American army. That was fine with me though, but I did miss Becca.” Bucky said, head slipping sideways onto the couch cushion. 

“Sounds like fun. Everyone always thought I wouldn’t be adopted after my mom died. I was so small and so sick and 14. That’s the three strikes I think, but Abraham was different. He said he wanted a good person. And he was too old too. So it worked out.” Steve said.

“Dead parents suck.” Bucky mumbled and Steve nodded his head sagely. 

“It’s funny that even though I grew up in Russia and did all this shit in the military, we have a lot of shared experiences.” Bucky said, hand coming up to rest on the couch. 

“What did you do in the military anyway. You said Spec Ops?” Steve asked, wiggling towards the edge of the couch.

“I’m not supposed to tell you this, but I was a sniper and did lots of very, very bad things. Like assassinate people and throw governments in chaos.” He giggled a little. “Then I got blown to bits. But the real secret is that I can still use my rifle fine since Tony fixed me up.” He waggled his metal fingers. “I was an e’spirament.” He said.

“It’s the coolest thing ever though. You are so brave. It’s okay you did bad things. You did them for good reasons.” Steve said, eyes wide.

“That’s a nice thought, Stevie. You think so?” He asked. “I haven’t had a whole lot of good in my life until I met the Starks and started this job.” He said, frowning.

“You deserve the good stuff, Buck. You deserve the things you want.” Steve said, sitting up enough to pour them another round of shots. He took his and grimaced. 

“So do you Stevie.” Bucky said after they put down their shot glasses. Steve was still propped up on one arm, leaning toward the edge of the couch. “The problem is I can’t have what I want.” Bucky said, quietly, turning so he faced Steve fully, chest flush with the front of the couch.

“What’s that Buck?” Steve asked, his free hand wandering towards Bucky’s shoulder. There was a tense moment of silence before Bucky leaned forward and kissed Steve. Steve’s hand slipped around his neck to stabilize them while Bucky pushed himself close to the couch. The kiss was relatively chaste but the depth of emotion communicated between the two was shocking. Bucky slid a hand up to rest against the exposed skin where Steve’s shirt had ridden up while laying on the couch. With a start Steve sat up bolt straight. The hand that had been in Bucky’s hair flew to his own head at the sudden motion.

“Fucking hell Bucky. We can’t do this.” Steve said, voice cracking. Bucky leaned back, breathing hard. He couldn’t believe he had just done that.

“Shit Steve, I am so sorry.” He croaked out, scooting back from the couch. 

“It’s okay. We’re drunk, this shit happens. I think I should go now though.” Steve said, stumbling to his feet. He collected his things as quickly as a drunk person could and headed for the front door. Bucky kept his distance, trying not to make things worse than they already were. 

“Get home safe Steve. And sorry again.” Bucky said when Steve reached for the door knob. 

“I’ll call an uber, and, uh, it’s not your fault. We’re both to blame.” He said, slipping out the door. Bucky walked over to stand beside the door and laid his head against the wall. He felt sick with regret. Sure, part of it was the alcohol, but it was his fault for letting these feelings fester and grow unchecked inside of him. He probably just ruined their friendship, Sharon’s wedding and his chance for a promotion. 

Lost in the depths of self-pity, Bucky almost didn’t head the knock at his door. He pulled open the door sluggishly to see Steve standing there. His brow was furrowed and his body rigid. 

“Bucky, I’m sorry, but I have to know.” He gritted out before pushing into the apartment and into Bucky’s personal space. Steve’s mouth met his in a crush of lips much more passionate than the first. Steve slid his arms around Bucky’s neck while they stumbled backwards. The back of Bucky’s thighs hit one of his breakfast stools. He slid onto it, letting Steve clamour onto his lap, straddling him. They kissed for a long time, hands fisted in clothes and mouths hot against each other. Bucky could feel wet tear streaks down Steve’s face and wrapped his arms around the smaller man.

After a few minutes they broke apart for air and Steve slid backwards, stumbling off of Bucky’s lap. He made a small noise of distress. Bucky also stood as Steve walked back towards the still open door. 

“Bucky…” He said, trailing off. “This is the last time.” He turned back to look at Bucky. “I mean it. No more of this. No more flirtation, no more casual friendship. We both have people we are committed to.” Steve said, brow furrowed. He wiped at the tear tracks on his face.

“I understand, Steve.” Bucky agreed, nodding. “It’s time to move on.” He said, more to himself then to Steve.

“It is. Goodnight.” Steve said before disappearing down the hallway and into the night. Bucky shut the door slowly. He locked his dead bolt and headed into the bathroom to take a shower. He left on classical music in his living room loud enough to drown out any more knocks that might have come that night.


	8. A Sprint to the Finish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sharon returns unexpectedly and we enter full wedding planning mode. 
> 
> Bucky completely ruins a game of bananagrams and totally makes Clint's birthday about himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well well. 
> 
> Originally this chapter was called like, Stupid Montage with Sappy Pop Song because that is what this is.

For the first time since he started working at Hydrangea Weddings, Bucky did not want to go into work. He sat in his bed long after his alarm had rung and stared at the ceiling. For the first time in a long time he wondered what the life he was building would look like. Is this how he found happiness and purpose? Was there even a point? 

His phone went off on his nightstand, playing the special tone he’d set for Darcy. She was probably wondering where he was and when he was coming into the office. He let it ring until it went to voicemail. A few minutes later, the same tone sounded. Bucky frowned. Darcy was not a worrier. She wouldn’t call twice just to check in on Bucky, which meant that there was an emergency of some kind. Despite his lethargy, Bucky lurched over and grabbed his phone. Any lingering cobwebs from his emotional distress vanished instantly when he looked at his phone. 16 missed calls? 20 missed texts? When had that happened? He thought, quickly sliding the bar across his phone. The calls and texts were from a plethora of people but mostly Sharon and Darcy. Without bothering to read through the extensive message list, Bucky clicked onto the most recent missed call, hoping Darcy would pick up quickly. 

While the phone rang, Bucky slid his body out of bed and started to gather clothing for the day, grabbing whatever was closest. Darcy picked up on the third ring.

“Holy fuck Bucky, today was not the day to go awol!” Darcy whispered into her phone. He could hear the faint clicking of high heels, likely Darcy was walking briskly through the office.

“Sorry, I had a late night. Overslept.” He said. Actually, it was rather remarkable he didn’t have a hangover he mused “So what is the emergency?” He asked.

“Well, Sharon flew back into the States last night.” Darcy began. 

“No way. We spoke yesterday and she needed to be on site for another week or something.” Bucky muttered. He put Darcy on speakerphone and started to get dressed even faster. 

“Well that was yesterday. This is today. She tried to get in touch with you, apparently. But you didn’t respond.” Darcy said, her frustration evident in her voice.

“I just noticed the texts.” He said. A feeling spread through his stomach like he had swallowed lead. 

“Yeah well, when she couldn’t get ahold of you, she called me at 6 in the morning.” Darcy said harshly. “Anyway, I picked up my phone like a responsible adult.” Darcy said trailing off.

“And?” Bucky asked, already slipping his feet into his loafers.

“She’s coming in this morning. She said she was going to be here at 9 o'clock sharp. I’ve been trying to reach you since she hung up.” Darcy said. Bucky glanced at the time on his watch as he put it on. 8:55am. 

“Shit!” He shouted, moving more quickly to gather his work bag. “No way I’m going to make it.” He said. 

“I know.” Darcy responded. “I’m already here. I’m getting some coffee ready and I’ll get her settled in, but she was really insistent about speaking with you. I don’t know, just get here as fast as you possibly can.” She muttered into the phone, speaking quickly. “Look, I don’t know what she wants but I can’t talk any longer. Just get here soon.” Darcy hung up the phone, leaving Bucky in a state of panic as he rushed around his apartment. 

Bucky moved faster than he thought possible, flying around his bedroom in a frenzy. As soon as he could convincingly go out in public, he ran from his building at full speed. Bucky made his way to work, counting the minutes at every stage. He rushed up to his office and paused outside of Hydrangea Weddings. He took a deep breath, straightened his tie and coat and pushed through the door. Regardless of how frazzled he might feel he needed to handle this situation professionally. 

Darcy met him in the lobby, both walking quickly towards Bucky office. 

“Any new information?” He asked quickly. 

“No, nothing. She won’t talk to me.” Darcy said, waving her hand. “I have no idea what’s going on.” 

“Alright. Thanks Darcy.” He said, grabbing the doorknob and pushing into his office.“Good morning Sharon.” Bucky said, putting on a winning grin. 

“Hi, James.” Sharon said, sipping from her coffee. She was already seated in the armchair across from his desk. She looked tired, both physically and emotionally. Her eyes were hollow and surrounded by purple bags. 

“Hi Sharon. Everything okay?” He asked tentatively, sitting down in his desk chair. He didn’t bother to log onto his computer or even unpack his bag. He simply pulled a pad of paper and pen towards him, waiting.

“Bucky, I can’t do this.” She said, eyes watery. 

“I know that the wedding planning process is overwhelming, but we are here to make this process easy and worry free.” Bucky said, launching into a canned speech for brides with wedding jitters. With her work commitments and stress levels, Sharon was probably just too overwhelmed with the five week timeline.

“No, not like that Bucky. I can’t go through with this wedding.” Bucky sat for a second, trying to process this information. He heart gave a little involuntary leap, but he immediately squashed the little bit of hope. Sharon Carter canceling her wedding was bad news for all of them. 

“Look, Sharon, I know that the short timeline is overwhelming and definitely not ideal. Why don’t we move the wedding to next year, when things are a little calmer. We’ll take the april date.” He said, writing notes quickly onto his pad of paper. 

“No, Bucky, I can’t marry Steve.” She said, setting down her coffee cup with a loud clatter. Bucky looked up quickly, forehead creasing. 

“What do you mean Sharon?” Bucky asked, slowly setting down his pen.

“This is a huge mistake.” She said, voice wavering. “I was sitting in a meeting discussing an acquisition in Argentina and it hit me,” she said looking up at Bucky, “this is a terrible idea.” Emotions ran amok in Bucky’s mind, heart racing. Did she know about him and Steve? Bucky wondered. 

“Sharon…” Bucky began. 

“We’re never home at the same time. He’s constantly working weird hours and on short notice. When he is home he spends all his time working on his goddam motorcycles or going to farmer’s markets and meditating or some shit. And when I get home I’m too cranky to spend time with him anyway. I swear, all he watches is the history channel and fucking infomercials. Who watches infomercials by choice? And I can’t stand swing music.” She sobbed in one long garbled strand. “These aren’t big things, they shouldn’t be a big deal.I just, is he it? Is he the last person I’m going to sleep with?” She continued. Bucky got up and moved the chair form the side of his office over to be next to her. He sat and patted her hands. She took several gulping breaths and turned to look at him. “When we got together it was an accident. Peggy just hoped we’d become friends as adults, since we knew each other in high school. We’ve been together for so long. Marriage is the next step. But sometimes, I wonder if we’ve ever really been together.” She said, fat tears still rolling down her cheeks. 

“What happened, Sharon?” He asked as her breathing calmed. 

“I don’t know. I guess setting the date made all of this feel so much more real. I can’t imagine my life without Steve, but recently I’ve met some new people. I just can’t help but wonder if Steve is just the best answer to a complicated problem.” She closed her eyes for a moment. “Why do people get married, James?” Her eyes fluttered open again. 

“Sharon, people get married for different reasons. Knowing that this is a good relationship, a steady relationship, is a perfectly good reason to tie the knot.” He said, still holding her hands. “You are an extraordinary women, Sharon. You are self-aware, deeply intelligent and ambitious. You know what you want, and you know what’s best.” Bucky said.

“What if what I want and what is best are two different things?” She asked, her watery gaze settling on a distant point. Briefly Bucky was back sitting on the couch, breath mingling with Steve’s. 

“ I know what that feels like, believe me, but Sharon I don’t think those two things are separate. While you were away Steve and I were talking. He said you were the most amazing person he’d ever met.” Bucky said, tucking a strand of Sharon’s hair back behind her ear. “He feels incredibly lucky that you gave him a chance. Steve is the best kind of person and, if nothing else, I promise you that he loves you.” Bucky said, ignoring the sinking feeling in his gut. This was the right thing to do, he thought. They deserved their fairytale ever after and Bucky could give it to them. “It’s just a little bit of cold feet. Let’s set the date in April and take a little time away from the wedding planning, okay?” Bucky suggested. He felt somewhere in between puking and sobbing and didn’t want to do either with Sharon in his office. 

He moved back to his desk chair as Sharon’s sniffled faded. 

“No.” She said, definitively. Bucky’s head snapped up to meet her eyes. “Set the date for May 7th. The sooner the better.” Sharon said, pulling a tissue from her purse and dabbing her eyes with a tissue. 

“You sure?” Bucky asked. He wasn’t sure if he wanted the answer to be yes or no. 

“Definitely. After all, no better cure for cold feet than a sprint to the finish.” She said, smiling weakly.

“Alright. The 7th it is.” Bucky said, writing it down on his notepad. Sharon and Bucky bid each other a quick goodbye with promises to catch up more fully once she’d rested. Bucky sat back in his chair, dumbfounded by the entire interaction. Briefly, Bucky allowed himself to contemplate the possibility of Sharon and Steve parting ways. An image of Steve in his apartment, hanging out, stealing kisses and napping on the couch. Bucky’s self-indulgence ended quickly though. He needed to find a distraction and, more importantly he needed to plan this wedding.   
_________________________________________________________

 

The next week passed in a blur; they only had a few weeks and needed to get their orders in as quickly as possible. Bucky carefully planned schedules so that he was never alone with Steve in the wedding planning process. Steve seemed to have the same idea and worked later and longer hours at the hospital. The bitter sting of disappointment was eclipsed by overwhelming relief. 

Sharon was clearly still uncomfortable, but both her and Bucky worked toward the wedding planning with frightening efficiency. They made appointments and reservations decisively, relying on Sharon’s keen eye and Bucky’s knowledge of the industry. 

The first order of business were the invitations. They elected to have them hand written. Elegant navy blue script with gold leaf accents flowed across crisp white paper. They were elegant and simple, but most importantly, they were sent out. Initially both Bucky and Sharon were worried about turn around, but people RSVPed quickly regardless. 

The dress was purchased with Peggy and Sharon; the bodice was covered in floral lace while the ballroom skirt fluttered with chiffon ruffles. The dress was ostentatious, but it would hold its own against the vibrant gardens. With a few diamond accents she would radiate wealth and class on her wedding day. 

Bucky handled the wedding cake on his own, taking input on flavor and color from the couple. The baker designed a multi-tiered cake with cascades of fondant flowers. They left great swathes of white empty though, as Bucky had hired a local watercolor artist to paint peonies onto the cake in food dye using their signature style. 

Pierce drew up the papers to officially name Bucky partner. The manilla envelope felt impossibly heavy in his brief case. Part of Bucky desperately wanted to sign the contract the moment he was handed the sheaf of papers, but rationality won out. He would bring them to a lawyer friend, Matt Murdock, who had agreed to read them through. Bucky was simply too exhausted and too busy to wade through the legalese right now. 

Slowly but surely everything came together. The bridesmaids were recruited, the alcohol was ordered and the food selected. With his usual precision Bucky marched forward through the wedding planning process. 

The first chance Bucky had to catch his breath was on April 30th. Exactly one week before the ceremony. Normally the weekend before such an important event, Bucky would be hard at work checking in on contractors and following up with guests and workers. This time though, he had another commitment he needed to attend. 

“Happy birthday!” He cheered, walking through the door of Clint’s apartment and wrapping the older man in a warm hug. 

“Hey buddy, glad you could make it. I know work is killing you right now.” He said, patting Bucky on the back. 

“What? Like I was going to miss your birthday? Never.” Bucky said grinning. The group had all assembled, called together by their shared affection for Clint. It was certainly an odd group, with Clint’s friends from his various jobs, the Maximoffs plus Natasha and even the Starks. Clint was also a member of an experimental Stark trial working with hearing aids. In fact, Pepper had recommended Clint’s gaming club as a social opportunity for Bucky when he was trying to get back on his feet. The crowd was odd, but full of happy faces and kind words. 

Clint lived in a spacious apartment with high ceilings and large windows. They were strung up to the nines with streamers and fairy lights, decorations scattered everywhere. Bucky wasn’t entirely sure what Clint’s job had been before they’d met. Clearly it was quite lucrative and Bucky suspected not entirely legal. They never spoke of it but Bucky recognized in him the same scarred soldier he knew within himself. Maybe one day he would build up the courage to ask about it. For now, it was enough to see the flicker in his eyes occasionally. 

The food was delicious and the liquor was flowing. In true Clint Barton fashion the large dining room table was cleared off and games were set out for the participants to enjoy. Laughter rang out as new people faced off against old pros and friendships were made and broken. The sunset set the room aglow, bathing the whole gathering in glowing light and then fading into darkness. 

Bucky loved Clint and he knew everyone at the party well. It was the only way he tolerated being in such a cramped space with so many people for the entire evening. He breathed through the occasional rise in panic levels, years of therapy and coping mechanisms proving their worth. The evening wandered on. Somewhere between the last dinner plate being cleared away and the candles being lit on the cake Bucky slipped out to the fire escape for a break. The cool air was refreshing and he sipped his drink in the quiet for a few moments.

“Hey you.” Natasha said, slipping onto the fire escape behind him. Bucky was sitting, swinging his feet over the edge. She joined him, her delicate ankles slowly flexing and pointing. 

“Hey yourself.” He said back. “Needed to get away?” He asked. She took a sip of her drink.

“You could say that. Clint and I have become friends but I still don’t know most of those people. Besides I thought we could talk.” She said nonchalantly. Bucky felt himself tense up, gripping his glass too tightly. “I wanted to apologize for the vineyard. Becca and I talked.” She said, frowning. Bucky felt the tension drain out of his shoulders. 

“Oh?” He said, arching an eyebrow. She chuckled and ducked her head.

“I guess she got in my head. Convinced me you were more committed to me than you were.” She said, shrugging. 

“Nat, it really isn’t about you.” Bucky said, “I’m sorry if it ever felt personal; that wasn’t my intention. It’s just a matter of where I am in my life.” He said, grimacing. 

“I get it. I really do.” Nat said, turning her head towards him and laying it on the gate. She smiled.

“You still think it’s a good idea.” Bucky said, running a hand through his hair. He let out a breathy laugh and smiled.

“I wasn’t going to say anything, but since you asked, yes. I do still think it’s a good idea.” She said simply. There was nothing aggressive or demanding in her tone. 

“To be fair, when this started I didn’t know about Becca and Pietro’s marriage.” He said, the familiar guilt returning to gnaw at his stomach. 

“Becca is still lucky, in many ways. Pietro too. I saw arranged marriages that worked and those that didn’t work when I was a child. Even now, many ballerinas I knew in Russia left work to marry against their will.” She said, wrinkling her nose. “I guess I always hoped that would not be me.” She said.

“Then why are you so interested in this set up?” Bucky asked, gesturing between them. He threaded his metal fingers through the bars, enjoying the slide of the smooth metal over the rough iron bars. 

“Because it is still my choice.” Natasha said quietly. “Despite my successful career, despite the distance, my family still finds ways to push marriage onto me. Soon they will succeed, I fear. I just want to know that my marriage was a choice I made.” She explained. Bucky nodded slowly. He understood the satisfaction in breaking the status quo.

“I get that.” Bucky said, quietly. “But still, why me?” He asked. 

“Why not you? You are kind, have an established career and know my culture. Besides, falling in love with a groom doesn't bode well for your love life, James.” She said. Bucky gaped at her, speechless. 

“How did you know?” He asked. 

“I am quite good at reading people.” She said, smiling. “That is also why I know that we are the same kind of person and we come from the same world. It would be a good option for both of us for many reasons.” She said. “I know, I know. Not an option.” She said, heaving herself up. “I just want both of us to find stability and happiness. Love will come when you are stable and happy.” She nodded her head and turned to head inside. Bucky thought about yelling out after her, but stopped himself. He sat for a while longer by himself, breathing in the smoggy city air. 

If you’d asked him a week ago, Bucky would have definitely laughed at the idea of marrying Natasha. That or he would have punched you in the face. But a week ago his life was different. He did not have a good track record with falling in love. They were either like Brock, assholes galore, or like Steve perfect and utterly unattainable. He looked at Becca and saw how happy she was; it was hard to miss the way she glowed. That was what he wanted; not more disappointment. 

Maybe he didn’t have any business picking his partners after all. Maybe family really did know you better than you know yourself sometimes. 

Bucky stood, a new resolve in his heart. He walked inside. The party-goers had settled some, finding seats and holding conversations. People were still playing games at the table, but the atmosphere was much more subdued. Becca stood in the kitchen, placing candles into Clint’s cake. He walked over to her and smiled weakly. She frowned, face inquiring, but he waved her off and moved towards the table. 

Natasha was sitting at one end of the dining table, shuffling through her tiles as her, Pepper and Clint faced off over bananagrams. He walked up behind her, leaning over her shoulder. 

“Hello James.” She said, smiling over her shoulder at him. She looked normal, but Bucky knew her well enough to see the confusion behind her grin. She wasn’t the only one who was good at reading people. He supported his weight on the back of her chair with his metal hand. With the flesh and blood hand, he reached over and began shifting her tiles out of their carefully constructed shape. 

“Hey!” She said, poking at his shoulder. 

“Wait a second.” He said, moving a few more pieces. One by one, he lined up letter tiles: 

M-A-R-R-Y M-E, they read.

Natasha laughed for a moment, the table stunned into silence. “Yes, James. I will marry you.” She said, turning in her chair to wrap her arms around his neck. They stood up amidst cheers from the assembled crowd. Clint called for double cake and some champagne to celebrate and everyone made themselves busy getting ready to celebrate the newly engaged couple. 

Arm around his waist, Natasha leaned up to whisper in Bucky’s ear. 

“Do not worry, James. This is the right thing to do.” She said, giving him a sad smile. For the first time Bucky wondered if her family was the only thing Natasha was trying to escape. He kissed her forehead slowly. Maybe she was what he needed; someone else with too many secrets for one soul. Maybe they could help each other. Maybe one day they could defeat their demons, whatever they were. Maybe they really were better off together. 

He smiled back and for the first time, it felt genuine.


	9. Sharon Margaret Carter and Steven Grant Rogers Invite You to Celebrate their Marriage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The wedding day has arrived but never fear, the ending is very close at hand. As a brief recap: No one is happy, everyone is having second thoughts and (though it's not mentioned) Sharon Carter did pick tan bridesmaids dresses. 
> 
> Ew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more to go, plus epilogue!  
> Today I made of list of (15) other guilty-pleasure RomComs I might do this for. Honestly this was so much fun... Maybe it'll be a whole series of them. Who knows.
> 
> Also yes this is a shorter chapter. Originally I was going to write 9 and 10 as one, but it became far too monstrous, so I broke them apart.

The week leading up to the big day was surprisingly smooth. The calm before the storm, Bucky mused as he went through his Friday checklist one more time. The wedding wasn’t until Sunday, but Bucky needed Saturday for last minute emergencies. He also needed some time to take care of more personal commitments. He should probably be more excited about his own impending wedding, but he simply couldn’t walk away from his work. What else could he do with such a large, high-profile wedding on the horizon? This was incredibly important for his career which still took priority over his personal life. Bucky sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Probably best not to examine his life priorities too carefully right now, Bucky thought, powering off his computer. If nothing else, Bucky knew his job. They were well prepared for Sunday, or at least as prepared as they could be for a wedding thrown together in a month. There was nothing else he could do right now. 

The day after proposing to Natasha they had talked and decided to get married as quickly as possible. He called the courthouse the next day and scheduled it for the first time slot they offered him. He confirmed that Becca, Clint, Hill and Pietro could act as witnesses and sent out a brief message to his other friends. Packing up his bag, he glanced at his planner. He knew that it was probably a bad idea, but there seemed to be some poetic justice in the whole situation. Under Sunday May 7th there were two items scrawled, one next to the other. 

Sunday May 7th:  
Sharon Carter and Steven Rogers Wedding- Brooklyn Botanic Gardens; Start 8am; Ceremony 2pm

Courthouse with Natasha- Don’t forget the rings- 1:30 pm

He had adamantly refused Becca’s attempts to throw him some kind of a bachelor’s party, citing work stress. 

In all honesty, he didn’t want to make a big deal out of his marriage. It wasn’t a matter of him changing his mind; he had committed to Natasha and he wouldn’t back out now. Still, it didn’t feel like a marriage and Bucky wasn’t inclined to treat it as one. Unfortunately he was not immune to his sister’s charm and she managed to convince him to come over for a quiet dinner with her and Pietro. It was hardly a bachelor’s party, just a family dinner. He could do a family dinner.

After all he only had to show up.

_____________________________________________________

Steve on the other hand, did not escape the fate of a bachelor. 

“Cheers!” Sam and Bruce said, clinking their bottles together with an unenthusiastic Steve. “Heers to Steve’s last few days as a free man and his impending ball and chain.” Sam grinned and took a swig from his beer. 

“This is actually the saddest Bachelor’s party I’ve ever seen, much less been to.” Steve muttered, also drinking. 

“Dude, you told us you didn’t want this to be a big deal. We took you at your word.” Bruce said, raising an eyebrow. It was true. Steve had specifically requested a low-key small gathering or nothing at all. He had never been one for parties to begin with and the over charged emotionality of the whole situation did nothing to increase his interest in a celebration. 

“No, this is exactly what I wanted.” Steve said, offering a half smile. “Just some beers with friends.” Sam and Bruce smiled. 

“Well good. We want you to celebrate however makes you happiest.” Bruce said. They didn’t speak for a few minutes, sipping their beers. The bar was relatively quiet, some light jazz played through the speakers and there was a sports game on low volume over the bar. Steve sighed into his drink, sinking down into the seat. 

“Why are you so bummed out?” Sam asked, turning towards Steve. 

“What do you mean?” Steve asked, sitting up a little straighter and smiling half-heartedly. 

“Seriously?” Sam asked, raising an eyebrow. “I have barely even seen you smile in the past three weeks.” He continued. 

“That’s not fair; this whole wedding thing is super stressful.” Steve explained, neither Bruce or Sam said anything. “Alright, fine… It’s nothing new. I just,” Steve paused. “I’m just not really sure about this whole thing.” Steve muttered.

“The bachelor party?” Bruce asked. “We can just go.” He said, gesturing towards the door.

“No, the wedding.” Steve muttered. “We kind of talked about it at the diner the other night. I guess I wasn’t as convinced as I’d originally thought.” There was silence for a few minutes. “I don’t mean to be a downer. I really do love Sharon.” He said, sliding further into the booth. 

“I can’t figure it out Steve. Until a month ago you and Sharon were one-hundred percent hashtag relationship goals.” Sam said, frowning. 

“We were. I mean, we are.” Steve said, blushing. “I just… I guess I’m not sure what my so called relationship goals are anymore. If that makes any sense.” He said, hair falling down into his eyes. 

“Look,” Bruce began. “I can’t say that it makes a whole lot of sense to me, but Steve, the bottom line is your own happiness.” He said, taking a long sip of his beer. 

“At this point there is so much more than that tangled up in this mess.” Steve said, lowering his gaze to his hands in his lap. He could not ingore the vast number of people invested in the wedding and in his relationship with Sharon. “It’s just not that simple at this point.” 

“I hate to break it to you, Steve, but it kind of is that simple.” Sam said, finishing off his beer. “While the timing is definitely shitty you can’t control your emotions. You have got to make yourself happy first before you worry about other people.” He said. 

“I mean, that’s true, but I can’t do that to Sharon and Peggy and everyone else who has put so much into this wedding.” Steve said, still not looking up. 

“Steve, don’t get mad, but I have a question.” Bruce said. Steve did glance up at this, frowning. 

 

“Ask away, Bruce.” He said, looking back down again. 

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but are you sure you’re the only one feeling this way?” He asked. 

“What?” Steve responded, looking up more firmly this time. 

“I mean, are you sure of Sharon’s wishes?” He asked, struggling to phrase the question. 

“I mean, she has planned this whole wedding in like, four weeks. Not to mention she wanted to do it this year rather than wait and have a normal engagement. If a shotgun wedding doesn’t mean ‘I want to marry you’ I don’t know what does.” Steve said, frowning. 

“Okay, just asking.” Bruce responded. He remained quiet, but he clearly wasn’t accepting Steve’s answer at face value. 

“It’s worth thinking about, Steve.” Sam said. “I mean for longer than three minutes.” He clarified when Steve opened his mouth to speak. 

There was an extended pause. “To be honest, it feels like we’ve barely spoken since the engagement.” Steve muttered. “I mean, it’s probably just wedding stress and these giant mergers but it’s hard to imagine marrying someone I don’t speak to for days at a time.” He said, shrugging. “We even live together for goodness sake and we barely have time to connect.” Steve frowned for a moment. “It’s not even that we don’t have time. It’s like neither of us cares enough to even bother. I just don’t know what to think anymore.” He finished, looking even more morose than he had at the beginning of the discussion. 

“Not to harp, and at the end of the day it is your choice, but you should consider talking to her. If nothing else, it might give you more confidence in your own convictions.” Bruce said. 

“I guess that’s true.” Said Steve, taking another sip of his beer. “Sorry tonight is a bit of a bummer.” Steve said, chuckling. “I’ll think about it.” He said, more quietly. 

“Good.” Sam said. “Let’s order another round!” He cheered, spirits lifting slightly. 

______________________________________

 

Dinner with Becca and Pietro was surprisingly okay. The food was good and the conversation stayed on safe topics. Mostly they discussed Becca’s pregnancy and the baby. Bucky could hardly contain his excitement and asked endless questions. 

However, after dinner the conversation was less restricted. Pietro offered to clean up the kitchen, giving Becca a pointed look. She in turn, looked to Bucky, gesturing to the living room. They sat down on the couch together and Becca curled slightly into Bucky’s side. 

“I really am happy for you Bucky.” She said quietly, rubbing absently at her stomach. “I think this whole situation is going to work out perfectly.” 

“I know Becca. I’m really glad you’re happy.” He said with a contented hum. 

“It’s a shame we’re doing it so quickly and informally.” She said without heat. “It would have been nice to really celebrate with you, since you couldn’t be there when I got married.” 

“I know Becca. I’m still sorry about that, I really wish I had known. I would have done anything to be there for you. There are many, many things I wish I had known about your life though. I’ll make up for it now, I promise.” He said, kissing her hair. “But I just can’t deal with the thought of a big wedding right now. Besides, Natasha didn’t want to wait longer than absolutely necessary.” He said frowning. “Simple works best. It’ll be quick, it’ll be over, we’ll be married and that will be the end of it.” He said, definitively. “Maybe in a few years we’ll renew our vows and do a bigger ceremony then. It’s just not in the cards right now.” He said, relenting slightly. 

Becca sighed. “I wish this could be a happier event for you, Bucky.” She said. “I mean, you are excited right? It’s just work and Natasha’s schedule that have you so down lately, right?” She asked pulling away slightly to look at him. “Right, James?” 

“Becca…” He said, trailing off. “I really do wish it was that simple.” He said, not making eye contact. “I can say that I agree with you about one thing though. I wish this was a happier event for all of us. Me, you, Natasha...” He trailed off, smiling sadly. 

“I don’t understand what you mean Bucky.” She said, frowning. “If you’re unhappy why are we doing this?” 

“Don’t worry, Becca. I am not having second thoughts and I am not backing out. I’m still going to marry Natasha. And with some time, I think it will all work out for the best.” Bucky said. “And that’s the end goal right?” Becca frowned slightly, processing her brother’s words.

“I don’t know Bucky, I didn’t think it would be like this.” She said, moving a hand to brush hair from his face. 

“Can’t change it.” Bucky said, shrugging. 

“I’m not asking you to change it, James. I just wonder if it’s the right thing.” She said quietly. 

“Becca, you said it yourself. Natasha and I, we make sense together. We’re good friends. Over time it will grow into a perfect match.” He said, giving her a weak smile. “We’ll get to grow together.” 

“I guess.” Becca said, frowning. “Still, I don’t want you to think your happiness isn’t important in this whole mess. It’s the most important thing.” She continued. 

“I haven’t done a very good job in my life of making choices that actually make me happy in the long term.” Bucky said. “I think I should stop taking my own advice and start listening to the people around me more.” He shrugged. 

“You’re unhappy?” Becca asked, voice full of worry. 

“I mean, I used to be. Since I started this job, found some new friends and reconnected with you I’ve been a lot happier.” He said smiling at her. “My life has been getting better and better, honestly. This’ll just be another part of that.” He said. Becca still looked unconvinced. He didn’t know why she was suddenly so hesitant about the marriage. However despite her newfound disquiet, he was still committed. 

“I guess that makes sense.” She said. “But Bucky, you made all of that happen. You found something you loved and made it into a career, with some help,” She said, talking over Bucky when he began to interrupt. “You got yourself the help you needed for you arm and the PTSD, found a social circle and welcomed me with open arms, despite our rocky relationship at the time.” She said, increasing in conviction as she went on. 

“Becca…” Bucky trailed off. 

“No, really!” She said, leaning towards him. “You have made this life for yourself with the help of people who care about you. That’s what counts.” She said. “I shouldn’t have doubted you before. I’m sorry.” She said, the first honest apology for her behavior. 

“I… thank you.” Bucky said. “I appreciate the apology.” 

“So what are we going to do?” Becca asked, leaning into his side again. 

“About what?” He responded, running a hand over her hair. 

“Natasha. The wedding.” She said. His hand stilled.

“Becca I am still committed to this. I am going to marry her. And it’s going to be at the courthouse on Sunday.” He responded. “This doesn’t change anything.” 

“Okay. If that is what will make you happy, James, then that’s what we’ll do.” She said, relaxing. 

“It’s for the best.” Bucky responded, quietly. 

________________________________________

 

The day of the wedding dawned bright, early and beautiful. It the perfect day for an outdoor ceremony. The botanic gardens were alive and bustling with people from all walks of life. The caterers were setting up, the bakery had already checked in and the wait staff were busy receiving training for the day. A Bucky Barnes wedding was a well-oiled machine, even when the entire planning process had been an unmitigated disaster. 

Bucky stood in the middle of the chaos, breathing in the fresh morning air. The joyous energy was already filling up the space. This was what he lived for, to be honest. He wouldn’t trade it for the world. 

Soon the bride and groom would arrive and the real chaos would begin, but for now, Bucky just wanted to enjoy the flawless efficiency of the operation. 

Perfect. 

“I totally did not think we were going to make this happen.” Darcy said, sliding up next to him. She was dressed in her normal wedding-day work wear, towering in her heels. She tied up her hair and slipped in her earpiece. 

“I had my doubts.” Bucky said, smiling at her. 

“Doubts? That’s what we’re calling like 5 separate identity crises now?” She asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“Very funny.” Bucky said, rolling his eyes. “You are just so charming when you want to be.” 

“Yup, I try.” She responded. “Oh, I think I saw the bride pull in when I was getting out of my car. You should probably go and check everything out.” She said, already reaching for her checklist in her pocket. 

“Thanks for the heads up.” He said, double checking his emergency supplies and kits. “I can’t tell you how excited I am for today to be over.” He said, shaking his head. “Then we can put all of this behind us and move on with our lives.”

“And you’ll officially be partner; then you can promote me to a full fledged planner, right?” She asked waggling her eyebrow. 

“Sure Darcy.” He said, laughing. “I’ll just be glad to have the whole Steve matter settled and over with. This month was extraordinarily difficult.” He said, frowning. 

“I hope that this all works out.” She said. “It’s for the best Bucky. We can all move on and this will become an odd anecdote to pull out years from now.” She patted his shoulder. 

“Right then, well I should probably get on with it then. Soon the real test begins.” He said. “Why don’t you go check on the floral arrangements. Make sure the balance skews light pink and the peonies aren’t overwhelming. I’m going to check on the bridal suite and make sure that everything is all set up and ready for the approaching never ending makeup marathon.” He said. 

“Sounds good!” She said. “Good luck corralling the female folk.” 

“Thanks. I think I might need the luck.” Bucky laughed turning towards the bridal suite. He took the longer path to get to the removed prep area. He needed a moment to prepare himself for seeing Sharon. Their last in-person interaction hadn’t been ideal. Hopefully she was stable and happy on her wedding day; not plagued with more questions and concerns. The last thing Bucky needed today was anyone else in crisis. 

After a few calming breaths, he was ready. 

________________________________________________

Sharon looked in the mirror and swallowed audibly. Many, many hours had passed since James had checked on her that morning. She had been poked and prodded, made up, painted and primped. At this point, there was nothing more to be done. Nothing else to prepare; nothing else to occupy her thoughts. 

It wasn’t that she was still unsure. She had finished questioning and decided to move forward, but lingering doubts plagued her mind. 

The dress was beautiful. The corset pulled tight around her waist and the skirt full with fluttering ruffles. She looked like a princess, dripping in diamonds and pearls. It was everything she had dreamed of as a child, the perfect dress for the perfect wedding. 

She sighed. Her bridal party was out of the room, getting their hair and makeup done in another suite. She had wanted some alone time to deal with her thoughts and settle her mind. Soon the ceremony would start and she would be committed to another person for life. 

Sharon glanced at the clock. Thirty minutes now and she would be on her way, no more thinking, no more stalling. She would be a married woman. Steve would be her husband and what a perfect husband he would be. Everything would be exactly as it was supposed to be and then she could move forward with her career, and with her life. 

Today was the day the rest of her life started. 

Someone knocked at the door. 

“It’s open!” She called out. Peggy walked in, beaming. 

“You look absolutely stunning.” She said, walking forward and kissing Sharon on the cheek. 

“Thank you Aunt Peggy. You look lovely as well.” She said. Peggy made a shushing noise. 

“Oh please, today is your day. You will be the most lovely woman in the entire world when you walk down that aisle.” She said. 

“Thank you.” Sharon said, smiling gently. 

“Alright well, I just wanted to make sure you were all ready.” Peggy said. “We’re all set, so in a few minutes someone will be here to bring you to the ceremony and then we can get on our way, yes?” Peggy said, moving towards the door. “I’ll be waiting to walk you down the aisle.” 

“Great.” Sharon said, smiling. Peggy nodded and left the room. Sharon paced uneasily for a few moments. Another knock came at the door. 

“It’s open.” Sharon called. She reached for her bouquet, ready to get started. 

“Sharon.” Steve said, standing in the doorway. He was still missing his cumberbund and he looked slightly wild around the eyes. 

“Steve!” Sharon cried. “What are you doing here? You know it’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding…” She said, trailing off when Steve only seemed to become more agitated. 

“Sharon.” He said again, voice still uneasy. 

“Steve, what’s wrong?” She asked, a pit of worry settling in her stomach. 

“We really need to talk.” He said, moving forward to grab her hand. 

“Now?” Sharon asked incredulously. 

“Yes, now.” Steve said. “Come on, take a walk with me.” He said, tugging her hand toward the door. 

“A walk Steve? The only place we’re supposed to be walking is down the aisle in twenty minutes!” She said, stalling. 

“Sharon, please, just go for a walk with me. Please.” The desperation in Steve’s voice forced Sharon to pause. 

“Alright. Fine.” She said, letting Steve pull her from the room. She wasn’t sure where this was going, but there was no way anything good was about to happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit:   
> Ahahaha... yeah. I fixed the Sharon/Peggy mix up in the bar scene. Ooooops. 
> 
> I never did get used to writing Sharon as the love interest. Thanks to those that pointed it out. Ya'll are rockstars.


	10. All is well that ends well

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What it says in the title.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh wow, okay. So this is done. Damn this is the longest thing I have ever written and posted so thanks for sticking with it/finding it/reading it/loving it/hating it/feeling more or less indifferent about it. 
> 
> You're great.
> 
> Also there is a super duper short epilogue. I promise it closes up some gaps.

Bucky stood on the sidewalk in front of the Botanic Gardens tapping his foot impatiently. Of all days for Darcy to be inattentive today was the absolute worst. He glanced at his watch again. Nearly 12:15. This was going to be a huge problem if she did not show up in the next new minutes. Glancing up he finally caught sight of his assistant tottering across the parking lot. 

“What in gods name are we doing out here Bucky?” Darcy asked, finally arriving by his side. Before answering Bucky reached out and hailed a cab which stopped surprisingly fast. “We are literally within two hours of the ceremony, which means we are t-minus an hour until lineup and last checks.” 

“Darcy, you read over those files carefully, right?” Bucky asked, undoing his jacket buttons. 

“Yes… Why?” She asked, frowning and shifting from foot to foot. Her stilettos made a scraping sound against the pavement. 

“Great. You’re going to need to run the rest of the wedding. I’m sure you’ll be fine.” Bucky said, removing the battery pack for his earpiece and handing the whole contraption over to Darcy. She took it, mouth gaping. 

“Explain.” She demanded, still holding the earpiece out in front of her. 

“Well, I have somewhere I need to be in a few minutes. Just help me out, alright?” Bucky said, smiling apologetically. 

“Nope. No. No way. Definitely not.” Darcy said. “You don’t get to just leave me here. What the fuck is going on?” She asked again, eyes pleading. Bucky really did not to explain the convoluted and painful series of events leading up to this point, but Darcy was a friend after all. 

“I’m getting married today.” He said, sheepishly running a hand through his hair. 

“You still getting in?” The taxi driver called out the window of the car, looking displeased. 

“Yes! Just a moment.” Bucky called over his shoulder.

“James Barnes that is not an explanation.” Darcy said fuming. “You cannot expect to dump that on me, hand me your fucking earpiece and vanish! This is the Carter wedding.” She said. “I can’t do this.” She whispered, eyes wide. 

“You’re going to be fine.” Bucky said, smiling. Darcy looked unconvinced. 

“Who are you even marrying? Last time we talked you were still hung up on you know who.” She said, increasingly desperate. The driver made another impatient noise and Bucky re-buttoned his coat. 

“A childhood friend of my sisters. Look, it’s complicated. I wish it was different. I really do.” He said, throat tight. “I wish I loved her and I wish I was planning a big ass wedding with everyone I care about, but this is not like that. I’m getting married at the courthouse in literally thirty minutes and for once I need you to not ask questions. Please.” He said. “I’ll double your commission for this wedding. Please.” Darcy had teared up, mouth tight. 

“Okay.” She whispered, quickly she lunged forward and hugged him tightly. Bucky felt her breathing catch and he looked upward to avoid crying. 

“Don’t ruin your mascara, Darcy. Everything is fine.” He said. 

“Alright. Go on then. Go get married.” She said, backing up. “Let’s get a drink soon and you can explain more then, okay?” She asked, straightening her clothes. 

“Sounds good.” He said, finally getting into the taxi. “Thanks Darcy!” He called while the taxi pulled away. 

Darcy stood on the curb for a moment processing the entire interaction. With a small shake of her head, she slipped her own earpiece into her pocket and slid Bucky’s into place. 

Time to go to work, she thought. 

______________________________

 

Steve lead Sharon out of her dressing room and down a side path. They walked in silence until they came to a small clearing. There was a low stone bench next to a burbling brook. The bucolic moment was interrupted by the tense couple. 

“Grant! What is going on?” Sharon asked, eyes wide. She was still dressed in full wedding regalia, pristing from head to toe. However, she wasn’t thinking about the white dress or delicate vale in that moment and sat down hard on the stone bench. Steve went to the stream. He was quiet for a moment, leaning up against a tree. “Steve!” Sharon pleaded. 

“Sharon, I just don’t know how to ask you this.” He finally began. Sharon was taken aback by the worry evident in his voice. He turned to face her, his eyes bright with unshed tears. 

“You know you can ask me anything, Grant.” She said quietly. Briefly she considered walking over to him, trying to comfort him. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen Steve was this upset. Maybe never, she thought. 

“Of course.” Steve said, smiling softly. “I feel like I need to be honest with you. Now more than ever.” He began, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “And I need you to be honest with me. Okay?” He asked. 

“Obviously.” Sharon said slouching forward. 

“Why do you want to marry me?” He asked quietly. Sharon’s eyebrows shot up her face in surprise. 

“What is going on Grant?” She asked. Her voice was low but her tone was urgent. 

“I just need to know Sharon, why are we getting married?” He asked again, desperation leaking into his voice. There was a few seconds of silence while Sharon processed the question. The brook splashed along and the birds continued to sing but it did nothing to ease the uncomfortable silence. 

“Grant, we went over this.” She said finally, playing with the ruffles of her skirt. 

“Please just answer the question.” He said again. 

“I… We’re in love.” She said, hesitantly. “Right?” She looked like she was about to cry. 

“Sharon when was the last time we had a deep conversation, the last time we had sex, the last time we even bothered to make room in our schedules for each other?” He asked, taking a few steps forward. 

“Grant this isn’t the time to talk about this. We’re walking down the aisle any minute. There are probably people already looking for us to get the ceremony set up. We can’t be doing this right now.” She said, moving to rub her eyes. She let her hand drop before it reached her face. 

“I know it’s not great timing, but if not now, when?” He asked, frowning. “After we’re married?” He said. 

“Steven Rogers, don’t do this to me!” Sharon said, nearly shouting. “Please don’t do this to me.” She said more quietly. 

“Do what to you Sharon?” Steve asked walking towards her. 

“You’re going to leave me on our wedding day. An hour before the ceremony. Not even left at the altar, but left in the dressing room.” She said, voice bordering on hysterical. “Half of New York’s richest people are here, tv crews are outside, bloggers have been gushing about the ceremony for weeks!” She said, breathing hard. “This is a disaster.” 

Steve covered the remaining distance quickly and sat down beside her on the bench. He took her hands into his. “Sharon listen to me. I am not leaving you at the altar. No Runaway Groom here.” He said smiling. 

“Then what do you call this?” She asked, breathing returning to normal. 

“Look, Sharon, if you can look me in the eyes and tell me that you love me and want to spend the rest of your life by my side, that you’re ready to commit to this, to us, right now, then I will go back to my tent put on my cumberbund, march down that aisle and marry you.” He said sincerely. “I just need to know Sharon. Why are we getting married?” He asked again, imploringly. 

Sharon looked at him for a long time, hands holding on tight to his. “Grant I love you, I really do.” She started, eyes filling with tears. Steve felt his heart sink slightly. Maybe he had misread the situation. “But I don’t want to marry you.” She admitted quietly. A single tear slipped down her cheek. Steve quickly wiped it away and pulled Sharon into a warm hug. Her back heaved a couple times and he pulled back. Rather than sobbing, Sharon was actually laughing. A few more tears and fallen, but she was smiling. 

“Dear god Grant.” She said, still laughing. Steve was frozen for a moment and then felt laughter bubbling up in his chest. “Aren’t we a pair?” She said, smiling over at him. 

“That’s for sure.” He said, leaning against the back of the bench. 

“How did we get here?” She asked quietly, looking up towards the tree branches above them. “How did we let this go so far?” 

“I think we got so used to the idea that we worked for each other that we forgot to actually work for each other.” He said. “I love you and I always will, but we would be a terrible married couple.” Another surprised giggle came from Sharon. 

“Right?” She agreed. “We would never have even seen each other.” She said. “I can’t tell if this completely sucks or not.” She said. 

“I understand exactly what you mean.” Steve said. “But it feels right.” Steve said, and it was true. For the first time in a long time, his life felt like his own again 

“Definitely.” She responded. “What do we do now though?” She said, grimacing. “There are all the people to worry about.” 

“Let’s just take a few minutes, then we can figure it out.” Steve said, interlacing his fingers with Sharon’s. “

“This really changes everything though, doesn’t it?” She said, still not looking at Steve. “What are you going to do with your new freedom?” She asked. 

“Well…” Steve said, ears turning red. “There was someone who helped me realize what I really wanted. I still want him, if he’ll still have me.” Steve said, slowly. 

“I’m glad.” Sharon said, sweetly. “I know I should be upset, but I can’t help but be happy for you. He’ll take you back if he’s got an ounce of sense. And with his wedding planning skills, he’s got to have at least enough sense to want you.” Sharon said. Steve looked over at her quickly, mouth hanging open. “Oh relax. You’re not as as subtle as you think.” She said, winking at him. 

“Sharon…” Steve began trailing off. 

“None of that.” She said, shaking her head. “It’ll make a great story for your kids later. Besides,” She said, her own ears turning a pretty shade of pink. “I had a little help realizing what I wanted too.” She said. Steve let out a small laugh. 

“We really are a perfect pair, huh?” He said again and they dissolved into a fit of giggles.

__________________________________________________

 

There was nothing romantic about preparing for your wedding in the bathroom in a public courthouse. Then again, not much was romantic about this wedding, Bucky thought to himself. He checked himself over again visually. He still wore the dark gray suit he had on from Steve’s wedding, but he’d added a skinny navy tie and a small boutonniere: a simple white rose. 

He heaved a sigh and left the bathroom. He made his way slowly to the courthouse room. With every step it seemed further and further away. 

It was no better inside the room. He stood at the front, waiting for Natasha to come in. Everyone was gathered together in the small space, dressed in formal clothes. 

Clint was absent. In the brief time Natasha had been in the states, her and Clint had bonded; an unexpected friendship. He had taken on a fatherly role, helping her with buying a car and fixing up a few odds and ends in her apartment. Everyone had been surprised when Natasha asked him to walk her down the aisle, but he had gladly accepted with a tear in his eye. It was an oddly sweet moment in this otherwise subdued marriage. 

No one said anything while they waited. The officiant cleared his throat. Finally after what felt like an eternity, the door to the room creaked open. 

As always, Natasha looked absolutely stunning. They didn’t have time to custom order a wedding dress, but you’d never know it looking at her. A wide boatneck and a full skirt created an elegant image in white satin. Her hair was loose, curling at the nape of her neck and her flowers were simple, just white roses and a navy blue ribbon. Bucky felt his heart break for the woman he saw before him. She looked so beautiful; she deserved more than a courthouse wedding to an apathetic groom. 

The tension did not leave the room as Natasha made her way to up Bucky. Clint took his place next to Hill and the ceremony began. 

“We are gathered here today,” the officiant began, glancing around the room. “to witness the joining of James Buchanan Barnes and Natasha Alianovna Romanov.” He paused for a moment. “Marriage is a sacred promise and should be entered into with a faithful heart and a clear mind. If there is any reason why these two should not be joined in matrimony, please speak now or forever hold your peace.” The officiant recited dutifully. They had asked for the abbreviated wedding ceremony. There was an uncomfortable pause, the tension in the room palpable. 

As the officiant breathed in to begin the next part, someone spoke from the back of the room. “Нет!” Becca’s voice rang in the small space. “No, I can’t let this go on.” She said, eyes sad.   
“Rebecca! What are you doing?” Bucky demanded quietly, turning away from Natasha and back towards his sister.

“Thank god you said something.” Pietro said, breathing a sigh of relief. 

“Hell, I object too!” Hill raised her hand from the side of the room. 

“Me three!” Clint chimed in, the tension draining from the room. 

“What is going on here?” Bucky demanded, dumbfounded. Natasha stood beside him watching quietly. 

“James, my brother. I can’t watch you go through with this.” Becca said, moving forward until they were within touching distance. “You deserve happiness.” She said, quietly. 

“This is the path I chose.” He said quietly. 

“No, this is the path I chose.” Becca responded. “I did the wrong thing for the right reasons, but it was still wrong.” She said, her face crumpling. “I am so sorry, брат.” Bucky pulled her into his arms quickly, shushing her as she began to cry. 

“Let’s get out of here. We can talk more outside.” Natasha said, from behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder. 

“Natasha, are you okay with this?” Bucky asked quietly as the others began to move toward the door. 

“I tried very hard to convince myself this was the right thing for me. Maybe I should not have tried so hard after all.” She said smiling sadly. “Let’s talk outside.” She said, moving to support Becca as they left the room. Bucky breathed deeply, apologized to the officiant and walked out the door.

__________________________________________________

 

A few minutes after their discussion, Steve and Sharon stood side by side on the sidewalk in front of yet another waiting taxi. They hugged for a moment before Sharon slid into the back of the car. The door slammed shut, a bit of her skirt sticking out and the driver started to pull out into traffic. 

Right at that moment, Darcy came running up to Steve, heels held haphazardly in her hands. 

“Please do not tell me what is the bride.” Darcy shouted, eyes wild. 

“That is in fact the bride.” Steve said, smiling proudly. “Or at least she was the bride.” 

“Well where is she going?” Darcy asked. “The ceremony starts in like thirty minutes!” She exclaimed. “Nevermind, is she coming back?” 

“Nope.” Steve responded, popping the ‘p’. “Oh, Darcy, where is Bucky? I haven’t seen him around.” He asked, grinning. 

“Bucky? Right. Oh my god. Bucky.” She said, on the verge of tears. 

“Whoa whoa.” Steve said, holding onto Darcy’s shoulder. “What is wrong?” He asked quickly. 

“Bucky is at the courthouse getting married.” Darcy spat out quickly, trying not to hyperventilate. “So I have to deal with this on my own.” She moaned. 

“He’s where?” Steve shouted, emotions flickering across his face too quickly to identify them. 

“The courthouse you idiot!” Darcy snapped. “But right now we have to deal with a missing bride!” She shouted back, but Steve wasn’t paying attention to her anymore. He ran into the street, stopping the first cab he saw, luckily there was no passenger. 

“Steve what are you doing?” Darcy shouted again even as he jumped into the taxi. 

“Bye Darcy! Thanks!” He shouted out the window as the cab sped away. Darcy was left standing by herself on the side of the road. She could hardly even make sense of what had just happened.

“This has to be some kind of comic joke.” Darcy mumbled to herself, slipping her heels back on. “I guess I’ll just deal with this then. Tell everyone that the wedding is off. No bride!” She laughed. “No groom.” She said, heading back towards the entrance. “How am I even going to explain this… Stan Lee is here…” She continued to mutter to herself as she headed back into the venue. Bucky definitely owed her big time for this one.

___________________________________________________

The cab pulled up to the courthouse and Steve nearly fell face first into the pavement as he tumbled from the taxi. He threw the fare at the driver and ran for the steps. He knew it was a long shot, but if he hoped desperately he was in time to stop the wedding. 

He pulled up short when he saw a small knot of people standing at the foot of the steps. 

“Natasha?” He asked, breathing hard as he ran up to the group. 

“Steve?” She asked, mouth falling open. “What in god’s name are you doing here?”

“Did you already get married?” He asked, eyes wide. “Please tell me.” He said, before she had a chance to answer. The rest of the group began to mumble in confusion. 

“Steve?” Becca asked quietly, looking to Clint. He shrugged, just as lost as she was. Hill frowned, but kept quiet and Pietro pulled his phone from his pocket. 

“No, we didn’t get married.” Natasha answered quietly, her white dress covered mostly by a shawl. 

“Thank god.” Steve gasped, reaching for her hands. 

“I don’t understand Steve.” She said, searching his eyes. 

“You’re not the only one.” Clint mumbled from beside her. 

“Aren’t you supposed to be getting married right now?” She asked, squeezing his hands. More muttered of confusion erupted from the group. 

“Yes, I was but Sharon and I, we called it off.” Steve explained, a happy grin spreading across his face. “Turns out we were both in love with other people.” He said, giggling. 

“He loves you too, you know. I think he has for a long time.” She said, a smile spreading across her face as well. 

“Let me get this straight.” Becca said, interrupting the intense moment between Natasha and Steve. “Both you and Bucky were supposed to get married today. Neither of you did and you love him and he loves you.” He said, with an eyebrow raised. “Did I get that right?” She asked.

Steve nodded. 

“So then what are we all doing standing around here?” She asked, throwing her hands up into the air. Steve chuckled. 

“I don’t know.. I have to go!” He said, pulling away from Natasha. 

“Wait!” She said, chasing after him. “Let’s take my bike!” She called, gesturing toward the sleek red ferrari motorcycle parked nearby. “It’s the fastest way possible.” Before Natasha could get far, Becca grabbed her elbow. 

“Take these!” She said, shoving keys into Natasha’s hand. “They’re keys to his apartment.” She smiled widely. “Go him Steve!” She shouted, laughing. Natasha and Steve both flew towards her bike. She grabbed the two helmets off the back of the bike and threw one to Steve. 

“So does this mean Sharon is also, uh, back on the market?” She asked, a light blush spotting her cheeks. Steve paused while buckling on his helmet.

“Oh my god. No fucking way.” Steve said, laughing. Natasha frowned 

“Shut up you ass!” She said, punching his arm. 

“No, you’ve got great taste.” He said, trying to contain his laughter. 

“Come on let’s deal with your love life first.” Natasha mumbled, swinging a leg over her bike, dress flying in the wind. Steve climbed on behind her, still laughing. 

“Natasha I think we’re gonna be fast friends.” She muttered something in russian and the bike sped off down the road. 

_________________________________________

Bucky breathed in the cool night air, metal hand running over the rusted fire escape. He’d taken off his tie and it hung over the railing. It waved gently in the gentle breeze. He was still processing the events from that day, his phone turned off and tossed aside when he’d come home. 

He really didn’t know how to proceed from here. 

“Hey.” A quiet voice said from behind him. He turned around quickly, surprised someone else was in his apartment. 

“Steve?” He asked incredulously. 

“Hi. Becca gave me your keys.” He said waving them around a finger. He looked nervous; his hair was a tangled rat’s nest and his cheeks were glowing pink. Bucky stayed silent while Steve shifted nervously. “Can I sit with you for a minute?” He asked, quietly. 

“Yeah.” Bucky answered, still mystified as to what was going on. Steve walked over to him, sliding his legs between the bars and settling down close to Bucky that their thighs brushed together gently. 

“So you didn’t get married today, I heard.” Steve said, glancing quickly towards Bucky. 

“Nope.” Bucky said, metal hand closing forcefully around the bar. 

“It’s funny. Neither did I.” Steve said. Bucky looked over quickly, searching Steve’s face. Gently, Steve extended his left hand across his body towards Bucky’s left hand, leaning into Bucky’s shoulder. He slid his hand over the metal of Bucky’s wrist and down until his fingers slid in between their metal counterparts. Bucky loosened his grip enough for Steve’s hand to slide into place. He stared for a long moment at the empty ring finger. 

“Where’s Sharon?” He murmured a few moments later. Steve smiled into his shoulder. 

“Probably on her way back to Tokyo. She’s getting to do what she loves.” He said, sliding closer to Bucky’s side. “I know it took me awhile, Buck, but this time I know what I want.” He said, right hand coming to rest on Bucky’s far hip. Bucky turned so that there were nearly nose to nose. 

“You know it’s funny.” He said, eyes flicking around Steve’s face. “The last time I was on this balcony I made up my mind to marry someone, but it didn’t work out.” He said, giving a half smile. 

“That’s too bad.” Steve said softly. “Maybe you should give it a second try.” Steve stretched his neck up and kissed Bucky softly. 

“I think it’s a little early to be designing our wedding invites, Stevie.” Bucky said once they’d pulled apart. 

“Maybe we could just pick out our save-the-dates for now, give people fair warning.” He mumbled. Bucky laughed and the sound lingered in the night air for a long while.


	11. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve, Bucky, Sharon and Natasha sit down and have a chat. Sort of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this is it! 
> 
> At least for now. Who knows, maybe something else will appear in this universe. I have a feeling there will be some requests for backstory/more info about a few things in this chapter ;) 
> 
> Enjoy! And thanks again for reading!

(About a year later) 

 

“Bucky!” Steve shouted from their couch, twisting around so he had a better view of the kitchen. 

“What?” Bucky yelled back. “I’m still mulling over the invitations! I just don’t see this pomegranate color working with the theme. I really think we should stick with the maroon.” 

“We have a facetime date! Knit pick colors later!” He yelled back, rolling his eyes. There was a muffled noise as Bucky hurriedly got up from the table and jogged into the living room, flinging himself down into the couch. Steve had his iphone in his hand, elbow propped up on the end table. Bucky slid in behind him, tucking his knees up and slinging an arm around Steve’s stomach. He immediately started to play with the hem of Steve’s t-shirt, earning him a flick to the wrist. 

“Ow!” Bucky complained, but he was quickly shushed when the phone started to ring. 

“Hey boys!” Natasha said, her face flickering onto the screen. She was on a tropical beach, hair pulled up and sunglasses on. 

“Hey Nat!” Steve said, grinning ear to hear. 

“Hey girls.” Bucky said at the same time. Behind Natasha Sharon moved into frame, grinning. She settled her chin onto Natasha’s shoulder, sunglasses pushed up on her head, their position mirroring Bucky and Steve’s own sitting arrangement. 

“So..” Steve began, “How’s the honeymoon?” He waggled his eyebrow suggestively. Bucky grinned. 

“Bali is amazing.” Natasha said, beaming. “I am so glad she talked me into it.” She said, bringing her left hand up to rest on Sharon’s cheek. The diamond nestled on her left hand glinted in the tropical sunlight. Steve and Bucky knew that a matching one sparkled on Sharon’s left hand, since they’d watched them exchange them last week.

“I do know my vacation destinations.” Sharon said, planting a noisy kiss on Natasha’s cheek. “Plus the hotel we’re staying in has this amazing jacuzzi tub and last night…” She began, but trailed off when Bucky started to loudly talk over her. Steve turned bright red and Natasha just laughed. 

“Seems like you two are getting along just fine.” Bucky said after the ruckus quieted down. 

“We always have found ways to entertain ourselves.” Natasha said. “She loves when I speak Russian in bed, James, you should really try it.” She let out an evil laugh when Steve blushed even deeper. 

“Alright, alright, enough trying to make Steve squirm.” Bucky said, rolling his eyes. “That’s my job.” He grinned. Steve groaned.

“I should have known this whole messed up situation would end badly for me.” Steve muttered while the others laughed. 

“Speaking of our whole messed up situation,” Sharon began. “How’s the wedding planning coming?” She asked. 

“Sharon I finished the second wedding I planned for you like three days ago. Give me a minute to catch my breath.” Bucky whined. 

“Yeah, but the Romanov-Carter wedding was only the first wedding for the newly established JBB Event Planners. Congrats on your first commission James.” Natasha said winking. 

“Thanks. Business is picking up, turns out my name does carry more weight than my previous employer thought.” He said, smiling. Bucky had made a few major life changes in the last year, one of the biggest: leaving Hydrangea Weddings. 

“Yes, yes, enough work talk.” Sharon said. “We’re on vacation. Tell me more about your wedding.” She said, grinning. 

“Sharon Carter doesn’t want to talk about work?” Steve asked, incredulously. 

“Nah, Sharon Carter-Romanov doesn’t want to talk about work. It’s a new era Rogers.” She said, smiling into Natasha’s neck. Natasha looked deeply smug when Sharon used their combined last names. 

“Well for your information, planning it moving along well. We booked the venue a few days ago, actually.” Bucky said. 

“The bookstore?” Natasha asked. 

“Yeah at The Housing Works. We just really liked the vibe there.” Steve said, grinning. The doorbell rang at that moment, causing Bucky to stand up quickly. 

“Oh! Who’s visiting?” Sharon asked, leaning towards the camera. “Is it the baby?” She asked excitedly. Sharon was completely enamored with the newest Maximoff, she was going to spoil that baby rotten. 

“Yes, it’s the baby.” Steve said, laughing. Bucky opened the door to Pietro, Becca and their baby girl, Wanda. They all greeted each other and happy noise filled the house. The honeymooning couple said hello and cooed over the baby via the phone camera. They had made a weekly dinner party mandatory for all three couples. Tony and Pepper and others often dropped by and usually their table was overflowing. While Sharon and Natasha were on vacation, they would just have to facetime in for the event. 

“While you’re all here, I have a question for you all.” Bucky announced, standing in the center of the room. Steve turned the phone so that Natasha and Sharon could see Bucky clearly. “We wanted to ask you, Sharon, Natasha, and Becca, if you would be our bridesmaids for our wedding.” Bucky said, grinning. Three high pitched squeals echoed around the room, startling Wanda out of her nap on her father’s shoulder. 

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Steve said from the couch. Becca ran over and grabbed the phone from Steve’s hand eager to start discussing the wedding party’s responsibilities. 

Steve laughed at their antics and got up and walked over to Bucky. He stood on his tiptoes and kissed his cheek. Bucky’s arm settled around his waist. They stood in the middle of their apartment and watched the happy, swirling chaos unfold.


End file.
